Currently, a significant fraction of the engineering cost and launch mass of space systems is required exclusively to enable the system to survive launch.
This is particularly true for systems with physically large components, such as antennas, booms, and panels, which must be designed to stow for launch and then reliably deploy on orbit. Furthermore, the sizes of apertures and spacecraft structures are limited by the requirement to stow them within available launch fairings. Deployable structures and inflatable/rigidizable components have enabled construction of systems with scales of several dozen meters, but their packing efficiency is not sufficient to enable scaling to the kilometer-size baselines desired for applications such as long-baseline interferometry and sparse aperture sensing.
We propose to develop a process for automated on-orbit construction of very large structures and multifunctional components. The foundation of this process is a novel additive manufacturing technique called ‘SpiderFab’, which combines the techniques of fused deposition modeling (FDM) with methods derived from automated composite layup to enable rapid construction of very large, very high-strength-per-mass, lattice-like structures combining both compressive and tensile elements. This technique can integrate both high-strength structural materials and conducting materials to enable construction of multifunctional space system components such as antennas. The SpiderFab technique enables the constituent materials for a space structure to be launched in an extremely compact form, approaching perfect packing efficiencies, and processed on-orbit to form structures optimized for the micro-gee space environment, rather than launch environments. The method can also create structures with 2nd and higher orders of hierarchy, such as a ‘truss-of-trusses’, achieving 30X mass reductions over the 1st order hierarchy structures used in most space applications. This approach can therefore enable deployment of antenna reflectors, phased array antennas, solar panels, and radiators with characteristic sizes one to two orders of magnitude larger than current state-of-the-art deployable-structure technologies can fit within available launch shrouds.
The SpiderFab process for on-orbit construction of large, lightweight structures will dramatically reduce the launch mass and stowed volume of NASA systems for astronomy, Earth-observation, and other missions requiring large apertures or large baselines, enabling them to be deployed using much smaller, less expensive launch vehicles and thereby reducing total life cycle cost for these missions. Potential applications include construction of multiple high-gain antennas in Earth and solar orbit to support a deep-space communications network, long-baseline interferometry systems for terrestrial planet finder programs, and submillimeter astronomy of cosmic structure. The proposed space system fabrication technologies will also enable these systems to be re-configurable and repairable on orbit, and can evolve to support ISRU of orbital debris in Earth orbit and asteroid materials in deep space exploration missions.
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On-Orbit Construction
- NASA’s Artemis IV: Building Gateway, Humanity’s First Lunar Space Stationon May 17, 2024 at 5:13 pm
The Artemis IV mission is a pivotal step in NASA's long-term lunar exploration strategy, featuring the construction of Gateway, the first lunar space station, which will serve as a base for scientific ...
- Ariane 6 launches Replicator for 3D printing in open spaceon May 17, 2024 at 10:27 am
Europe's newest rocket soon launches, taking with it many space missions each with a unique objective, destination and team at home, cheering them on. Whether into Earth orbit to look back and study ...
- This year's Fast 50 has overcome a lot of challengeson May 16, 2024 at 4:25 pm
The companies on this years list of the fastest-growing private companies are working to zoom past all sorts of challenges, including inflation, interest rates, a tight labor market, political ...
- Space Force plans to build seven new telescopes on Haleakala draw strong opposition on Mauion May 16, 2024 at 5:41 am
The military’s proposal to build up to seven new telescopes on the summit of Haleakala is drawing stiff opposition, especially from Native Hawaiians.The Department of the Air Force concluded a series ...
- ISS National Lab announces up to $750,000 in funding for technology development in low Earth orbiton May 13, 2024 at 5:00 pm
National Laboratory is soliciting flight concepts for technology development that would utilize the space-based environment of the orbiting laboratory. This solicitation, “Technology Development and ...
- Forward Progress on Gateway, Humanity’s First Lunar Space Stationon May 13, 2024 at 11:01 am
The Artemis IV mission progresses with major components being assembled for the Gateway space station in Turin, Italy. This includes the HALO module and the Lunar I-Hab module, which astronauts will ...
- Cedegim takes 11,000 sq ft at Orbit’s Buckshaw Parkwayon May 8, 2024 at 4:01 am
The French healthcare company is the inaugural tenant for the first of the developer's five three-storey office blocks being built near the station at Chorley’s large mixed-use development.
- Starfish Space executes rendezvous between Otter Pup and D-Orbit's IONon May 7, 2024 at 7:11 am
The successful rendezvous is Starfish Space's first, and a finale for the Otter Pup mission SEATTLE, May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Starfish Space, in collaboration with D-Orbit, a leading space ...
- Scientists Managed To Connect A Simple Bluetooth Device To A Satellite In Orbiton May 6, 2024 at 1:54 pm
More often than not, our Bluetooth-powered devices connect flawlessly. However, at times, the connection can be a bit finicky. Imagine our surprise when we heard that a group of scientists managed to ...
- Two new Galileo satellites launched into orbiton May 5, 2024 at 8:20 pm
The European Galileo satellite-based navigation system now has 30 satellites in orbit, following the launch of the latest two aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on 28 April.
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