How 3D printing works in space and how it will help colonize the Moon and Mars

Как работает 3D-печать в космосе

Think about it for a moment: if humanity plans to colonize other planets, is it possible to transport everything you need across millions of kilometers of cold space? Imagine space bases built right on the spot with 3D printing using local resources. Today, such projects are no longer science fiction and are becoming part of real space exploration plans. In this article, we will look at how 3D printing in space works, what the peculiarity of metal printing is, and why this particular direction promises a huge breakthrough in the construction of Mars and the Moon.

Why print in space?

When it comes to space exploration, it is usually imagined that each piece is built on Earth and then sent into orbit or beyond – to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. However, the cost of each kilogram of cargo for space missions reaches millions of dollars, and space on a spacecraft is severely limited.

3D printing offers a solution to two problems at once: it saves the volume of cargo being transported and makes it possible to manufacture the necessary parts and tools directly in orbit or the future on the surface of other planets. There is no need to stockpile dozens of types of bolts, nuts, and housing elements – all you need is to deliver raw materials (for example, metal in the form of powder) into space and have a printer capable of creating virtually any object from it.

Demonstration of SLA printing technology. Image: CNET

The benefits of 3D printing off-Earth

  1. Saves fuel and space: instead of a large number of individual parts or tools, only consumables and the 3D printer are supplied.
  2. Promptness: the required part is manufactured on demand. If something fails at the station, you will not have to wait for the next “truck” from Earth.
  3. Flexibility of approach: the same machine can print tools, body parts, prototypes, and even decorative elements.

Technology features for Mars and the Moon

On Earth, things are relatively simple: we have gravity, a variety of materials, and familiar conditions for working with equipment. But in space, and especially on Mars or the Moon, the situation is different:

  • Reduced (or almost no) gravity: this affects the powder sintering process when printing with metal and the behavior of the liquid components.
  • Extreme temperatures: sudden changes in heat and cold can affect the quality of products as well as the reliability of the printer itself.
  • Lack of resources: water and other components are very valuable. It is necessary to use local materials as much as possible: regolith (lunar or Martian soil) in combination with imported metal or binders.

Printed from a local soil

Scientists and engineers are actively developing methods to use lunar or Martian regolith as a raw material for 3D printing. Combined with a small amount of binder material, regolith can be sintered into “bricks” or other shapes. This is a promising area for building living modules and infrastructure. However, when it comes to highly loaded elements and complex mechanisms, there is a need for more durable and reliable materials – and this is where 3D metal printing comes in.

The regolith is shown on the left; on the right, the regolith after almost all the oxygen has been removed from it, leaves a mixture of metal alloys. Image: ESA

What is the specialty of metal 3D printing?

3D metal printing is much more complicated than simply printing a steel figure. The technological process involves layer-by-layer sintering or melting of metal powder using a laser or electron beam. One common method is Selective Laser Melting (SLM). Each layer of metal powder tens of microns thick is applied uniformly, and the laser (or electron beam) selectively melts areas to form a continuous metal within the specified limits of the future part.

SLS printing technology products. Images: 3ddevice

Why is this important to the space?

  1. Robust and reliable: the metal can withstand heavy overloads and extreme temperature changes that often occur in space environments.
  2. Specialized alloys: titanium-aluminum, nickel (e.g., Inconel), and other high-strength aerospace alloys are already in use on Earth. The ability to print from them on Mars or the Moon will make it much easier to maintain space bases and vehicles.
  3. Optimum material utilization: in additive metal production, there is almost no waste. This is especially critical when every gram counts.

Real examples and successful developments

Although colonization of other planets has not yet taken place, research into 3D metal printing in space continues apace.

  1. NASA and Made In Space. NASA, together with Made In Space, which was acquired by Redwire (created by the merger of Deep Space Systems and Adcole Space) in June 2020, has long been testing 3D printers aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initial experiments focused on printing with plastic, but now devices capable of working with metal powders are being developed.
  2. ESA (European Space Agency). European specialists are investigating the possibility of using lunar regolith in combination with laser sintering. There are plans to modify this technology to create stronger metal components because the ISS and future space bases constantly need reliable metal parts.
A sample of 3D printed metal from the ISS. Image: ESA
  1. Private companies. SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others are also actively using 3D metal printing on Earth to produce rocket components (such as engine combustion chambers) and are considering adapting the same technologies for space manufacturing sites.

The main difficulties

Despite the obvious benefits, the technology is not yet ideal for use beyond Earth.

  • Microgravity: high-precision powder handling in weightlessness can be difficult. Powder flies away without gravity, so special chambers and trapping systems are needed.
  • Energy consumption: high-power lasers are needed to fuse metal. In space, energy sources are limited, and on Mars or the Moon, the power grid would have to be carefully planned.
  • Safety: metal dust and outgassing during high-temperature melting can be hazardous to astronauts. The printing area must be hermetically sealed.
  • Transportation of the initial powder: even if some of the metal can be mined locally, it is not yet clear how exactly to process it into the desired state (powder form) directly on Mars or the Moon.

Perspectives: how 3D printing will help explore Mars and the Moon

Once metal 3D printing technology becomes reliable and safe enough, it will allow for the on-site creation of everything needed to set up space settlements.

  • Building structures: frames, frameworks, modules for connecting living and laboratory spaces.
  • Repair parts: going into space to repair complex mechanisms will be easier if the parts needed can be “printed” on demand.
  • Life support systems: water and air filtration elements and resource processing equipment.
  • Research tools: Mars rovers and lunar rovers will be able to update parts of the undercarriage or scientific equipment using local resources and a 3D printer.

The “space constructor” analogy

Imagine a large “space constructor” similar to children’s LEGO blocks, only instead of ready-made elements in the box there is metal powder and a programmable printer. From these “bricks”, future settlers will be able to assemble everything from support trusses to complex pipeline systems.

Illustration of infrastructure on Mars using 3D printed structures. Image: NASA

The future is near

In Ukraine, engineers have been actively using 3D metal printing in commercial projects since 2021. Its main advantage is the possibility of implementing engineering solutions that were previously considered impossible within the framework of traditional production methods: casting, milling, etc.

Thanks to topological optimization, 3D printing makes it possible to create parts with complex geometries as in plastic 3D printing, reduce the weight of structures, and at the same time ensure the high strength of titanium, in particular using high-tech alloys. Despite its high cost and relative novelty to the general public, this technology is a real breakthrough in modern manufacturing, opening new horizons for engineers to create innovative solutions.

Topological optimization of a typical bracket. Image: Engineering

3D printing in space, in particular with metals, opens the way to a real breakthrough in the exploration of other planets. If the issues of energy supply, security, and local resource extraction can be solved, full-fledged open-air “factories” will appear on the Moon and Mars.

In the long run, it will allow:

  • Deploy large-scale construction of space infrastructure.
  • It is faster and cheaper to conduct research and experiments.
  • Create new types of spacecraft and modules right “on the spot”, without returning to Earth.

3D printing in space is a technology that could fundamentally change the rules of the game regarding the colonization of the Moon and Mars. Its advantages are already clear: resource savings, independence from Earth-based supplies, and huge potential for creating complex metal structures. Of course, there are still many issues to be resolved, such as safety, material extraction and processing, and the provision of energy resources. However, interest in this field is growing, and research is yielding increasingly inspiring results. If we look back in history, we can see that every industrial revolution has involved new technologies that made it possible to create things faster and more efficiently. Today, we are on the cusp of a new revolution – and the metal powder 3D printer is at the forefront of that breakthrough.

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