NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, in collaboration with Jacobs Space Exploration Group, has signed a contract with 3DCERAM Sinto, Inc. This includes the delivery of a C1000 FLEXMATIC ceramic printer and the inclusion of 3DCERAM as a partner in future NASA projects. The printer will be used to produce samples of new materials that will be tested in extreme environments such as space.
The first use of the printer will be as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) program. MISSE is designed to produce material samples and attach them to an exterior panel of the International Space Station. The aim is to investigate the effects of the space environment on the 3D-printed products. In Grand Ledge, USA, 3DCERAM Sinto will initially produce 20 samples that will be brought to the space station next year.
These samples are part of an evaluation process for ceramic materials that could potentially be used on the exterior of spacecraft in the future. The samples will remain in space for six months in order to gain insights into the durability of the printed ceramic material under the extreme conditions in space. Factors such as weightlessness and solar radiation will be investigated. The results of these tests will help to characterize the materials and manufacturing processes for use in space. If successful, load-bearing structures and heat shields could be printed with the C1000 FLEXMATIC in the future.
The C1000 FLEXMATIC enables NASA to produce large and fully dense parts or many small parts on the 320 mm x 320 mm printing platform. Thanks to its semi-automated process, efficient and precise production is guaranteed. This represents a significant advance in the use of 3D printing technologies for space travel and could fundamentally change the way materials are produced for use in space.
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