By 
July 18th, 2014
A National Research Council report has suggested that the benefits of 3-D printing for space missions are today undetermined.
Advocates of 3-D printing have suggested the technology could enable in-orbit manufacture of replacement parts and reduce launch logistical requirements.
The specific benefits and potential scope of the technology’s use remain undetermined, the NRC report contends.
“Many of the claims made in the popular press about this technology have been exaggerated,” said Robert Latiff, chair of the 14-person committee that wrote the NRC report issued today.
“For in-space use, the technology may provide new capabilities, but it will serve as one more tool in the toolbox, not a magic solution to tough space operations and manufacturing problems,” Latiff said.
Space station work
However, right now NASA and the Air Force have a tremendous resource in the form of the International Space Station, Latiff added. “Perfecting this technology in space will require human interaction,” he said in an NRC press statement, “and the Space Station already provides the infrastructure and the skilled personnel who can enable that to happen.”
Although additive manufacturing is a fairly mature technology for components that can be manufactured on the ground, its application in space is not feasible today, except for very limited and experimental purposes, the report says.
The committee said, however, that actual production costs should not be the sole criterion for evaluating the benefits of in-space additive manufacturing.
Furthermore, consideration should be given to the value of creating structures and functionalities not feasible without the technology. For instance, additive manufacturing might enable the construction of large structures in space, structures too big or fragile to be launched on top of a rocket.
Roadmap
The committee believes that in-space additive manufacturing is an area where cooperation between civil agencies and the military can and should occur. The Air Force should establish a roadmap with short- and longer-term goals for evaluating the possible advantages of additive manufacturing in space. The Air Force and NASA should also consider additional investments in the education and training of both materials scientists with specific expertise in additive manufacturing and spacecraft designers and engineers with deep knowledge of the use and development of 3-D printing systems.
Finally, the Air Force should make every effort to cooperate with NASA on in-space additive manufacturing technology development including, but not limited to, conducting research on the International Space Station, jointly sharing the costs of research, and sharing data.
The study was sponsored by NASA and the U.S. Air Force.
Take a look at the full report by going to:
Posted in Space News
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