The 2020 International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory Additive Manufacturing in Space Workshop was an online, half-day event hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of the ISS National Lab. The workshop discussed how rapid developments in additive manufacturing create new opportunities for advanced materials research and development (R&D) that could drive manufacturing innovation for applications both on Earth and in space. The workshop identified current challenges and new opportunities for industrial-scale innovation in additive manufacturing in a persistent microgravity environment.
The workshop featured briefings and breakout sessions led by experts from industry, government, and academia, with participation from ISS National Lab commercial partners providing 3D printing services on the ISS as well as NASA subject matter experts. Workshop participants engaged in knowledge sharing, with the goal of identifying the most promising additive manufacturing pathways for R&D and in-space production that leverage microgravity.
Breakout session technical topics:
- Microgravity-Specific Materials and Processes: What types of current or new additive manufacturing materials and space-based studies can advance both space- and ground-based additive manufacturing? How can the microgravity environment be harnessed to achieve new materials, microstructures, and material properties?
- In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU): What are the key challenges and solutions for applying additive manufacturing to ISRU in space and in remote Earth environments?
- In-Space Production: How can scale-up of current additive manufacturing activities on the ISS be achieved, and what are the current limitations and gaps in understanding?
The fundamental question of how microgravity or the extreme space environment can intrinsically and uniquely enhance additive manufacturing was discussed in all breakout sessions
Presentation Information
Introduction
Welcome to the Additive Manufacturing in Space Workshop
Etop Esen, CASIS
Download Presentation PDFState of Terrestrial Additive Manufacturing and Challenges
Industry Trends in Additive Manufacturing
Michael Petch, 3D Printing Industry
Download Presentation PDFOpportunities, Innovations, and Challenges in Additive Manufacturing Technology
Brandon Ribic, America Makes
Download Presentation PDFAdditive Manufacturing for Space: Large Format Additive Challenges
Amber Andreaco, GE Additive
Chris Schuppe, GE Additive
Download Presentation PDFSpace-Based Additive Manufacturing
Wettability and Interfacial Phenomena in Additive Manufacturing under Microgravity
Amy Peterson, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Download Presentation PDFApplications of In-Situ Resource Utilization in Additive Manufacturing Off-Earth
Jennifer Edmunson, Jacobs Space Exploration Group
Download Presentation PDFAdditive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials
Bill Jarosinski, Praxair
Download Presentation PDFPanel Discussion – The Future of Additive Manufacturing in Space
Industrializing LEO through In-Space Manufacturing
Justin Kugler, Made in Space
Download Presentation PDFManufacturing Our Future in Space: In-Space Manufacturing Materials and Tools
Rob Hoyt, Tethers Unlimited
Download Presentation PDF
Watch Demonstration VideoConcurrent Breakout Sessions
Session 1 – Microgravity-Specific Materials and Processes
Session Chair: David Johnson, Xerox PARC
Session Chair: Scott Roberts, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Moderator: Chris Williams, Virginia TechSession 2 – In-Situ Resource Utilization
Session Chair: Jennifer Edmunson, Jacobs Space Exploration Group
Session Chair: Bill Jarosinski, Praxair
Moderator: Jeffrey Montes, Blue OriginSession 3 – In-Space Production
Session Chair: Allison Beese, Penn State University
Session Chair: Justin Kugler, Made in Space
Moderator: Jay Sutherland, CorningBreakout Session Summaries
Session Chairs
Concluding Summary, Announcements, and Close
Etop Esen, CASIS
Examples of related ISS National Lab research:
- Three Years of 3D Printing on the Space Station
- Removing Gravity From the Manufacturing Equation
- The New Gold Rush: 3D Printing in Micro-G
- Made in Space Receives NASA Award to Advance Space-Based Manufacturing
- Taking Recycling to a New Level
- 3D Printer for Human Tissue Now Available for Research Onboard the ISS National Laboratory
- Our BFF Gets to Know the Knee
Past Materials Workshops
Learn more about the ISS National Lab Proposal Submission Process.