Archinaut

_Tombstone_ · 04-03-2016 1:15am #1

The Company that sent the 3D Printer to the ISS in 2014 are, by 2018, planning to send up another printer equipped with a robotic arm, put it in some kind of an external space station pod and "additively manufacture and assemble a large, complex structure".

“We are attempting to change the way we build space systems,” Steve Jurcyk, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said Feb. 19 during a press briefing at Made in Space’s office in the NASA Ames Research Park, Moffett Field, California. “Now, we build things on the ground and launch them using fairly expensive and complicated rockets. We are seeking to create an infrastructure to build systems in space rather than launching them.”

That type of infrastructure would enable NASA and private space companies to launch the raw materials used in additive manufacturing along with certain high-value components like sensors, electronics and batteries. Once in orbit, robotic arms would mate the parts sent from Earth with additively manufactured elements, said Howard Eller, chief architect for advanced concepts at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.

If all goes well eventually this thing could start scooping up all the debris floating around up there and using it as raw material.

And all (to begin with) a $20Million Grant from NASA. Looks like they are actually getting abit of value out of this 20 for a change.

http://spacenews.com/nasa-made-in-space-think-big-with-archinaut-a-robotic-3d-printing-demo-bound-for-iss/