Made In Space introduces latest project for 3D printing large structures in space

3D printing is a technological trend that is not only designed to continue its developments on Earth, but to also span out to the vast spaces of space. Helping to do this is Made In Space, a Californian company and a frequent collaborator of NASA, who has decided to take 3D printing into orbit. This week, we were introduced to Archinaut, a Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) where 3D printing large structures was tested within an environment that is found outside of earth

The development of the first structures capable of being created in such different conditions may seem simple, but if you think about it, the development of structures of any size outside of Earth would typically require a fleet of rockets. With Archinaut, they are hoping to develop “cutting-edge” technology in order to build the complex hardware and structures that will be on demand, in space.

The Made In Space team working on Archinaut TDM

Made In Space is located at Moffet Field, an air base that hosts NASA’s Ames Research Center. Located here are several startups that collaborate in the development of the conquests of space. Among some of the collaborating actors is Space X, a startup created by Elon Musk. It was here that they ran the Archinaut test series at the Engineering Evaluation Laboratory, using Made In Space’s Extended Structure Additive Manufacturing Machine within a vacuum chamber.