Manufacturing in space
As part of the two-year MASS-PEX project, which was launched in January 2024, the partners will drive forward the practical research and further development of technologies for production in space, known as in-space manufacturing (ISM). The plan is to develop and test a complete system for manufacturing structures from photopolymers using 3D printing in space. For the first time, these structures will also be reinforced with fibers, which will significantly increase their strength and rigidity. These can be used for large antennas or as support structures for satellite solar panels, among other things. Until now, these have been produced on earth and transported into space by rocket - a very error-prone and expensive procedure.
...
Find out more about this ambitious project on the HM press portal.
(c) Picture: Eduard Krasnov/ HM; Text: Ralf Kastner