Questions tagged [reduced-gravity-manufacturing]
Related to the manufacturing of products in reduced gravity environments and/or during spaceflight, or the techniques and logistics thereof.
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1answer
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Why wouldn't vat photopolymerization work in space?
This question implied that VPP has been evaluated and discarded as a potential zero-G manufacturing method.
That may be true for layer-by-layer resin systems, but what about a two-photon system with a ...
8
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2answers
177 views
Why is the Space industry expected to flourish and grow in the near future?
I've been seeing a lot of videos talking about how the "space industry" is "exploding" and soon to be a trillion dollar industry.
Obviously I know better than to just buy into the ...
4
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1answer
74 views
What benefits or new activities could take specific advantage of variable and/or low but not microgravity environment?
Just curious really. Considering that at some point in the future there might be rotational-based habitats, this would mean there would be easy access to variable gravity and/or low gravity ...
23
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1answer
3k views
Have things been intentionally welded in space? If so, what kinds of metals and techniques were used, and why was it necessary?
There are several very different kinds of welding techniques used in aerospace to join pieces of metal and/or to fill small gaps (e.g. arc, TIG, friction stir, ultrasonic...)
Question(s):
Have things ...
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0answers
51 views
Challenges to constructing a “building” in Earth orbit (something like a hotel) 100% robotically?
Today my younger brother and I, while discussing the idea of building any commercial building (something like a hotel) in the Earth orbit, got into some debate with the assembling of the building in ...
2
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0answers
54 views
How much mass do we need to send to the Moon to set up a useful factory there? [closed]
In light of SpaceX's recently winning the contract to go to the moon for NASA, I started thinking (again) about what avenues sending a rocket that size might open in our near-future. So let's assume ...
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0answers
65 views
Has Made in Space any track record growing specialty crystals in microgravity before? (“Industrial Crystal Facility” to fly this year)
Ars Technica's There are an insane amount of cool space things happening in 2021 mentions:
This year, Made in Space's "Industrial Crystal Facility" should also fly to space. This will serve ...
7
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5answers
239 views
Challenges and power required to make useable iron from iron oxide on the surface of Mars?
There is a very large amount of iron oxide on the surface of Mars within easy reach (once you are there of course).
What would be the practical challenges to collecting this and turning it into usable ...
2
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1answer
93 views
Demonstrating molten oxide electrolysis on the Moon, what would require the most power, keeping it molten or driving the electrolysis?
It seems that oxygen may be extractable from oxides in lunar regolith using "some variant of the" molten oxide electrolysis.
Assuming that solar energy is used in a lunar setting, what would ...
6
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2answers
146 views
Is additive manufacturing ever tested in space or are there some future missions which plan to do so?
Unlike ISS where astronauts can count on supply of mission critical parts from Earth, future interplanetary travelers must have sufficient number of spare parts onboard, or technology to produce them ...
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vote
1answer
71 views
What are “applied moments of inertia” in the context of STS-61B's EASE/ACCESS?
This answer links to https://history.nasa.gov/spacesuits.pdf which shows the image below. (fyi Wikipedia's STS-61 is not to be confused with STS-61A, STS-61B or STS-61C, see answers to Why so many STS-...
4
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1answer
209 views
Asteroid Mining on Ceres
I am an Architecture and Urbanism student. Currently I am working on designing a space habitat for mineral mining on Ceres.
I have been reading about space mining techniques mostly on near Earth ...
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0answers
73 views
How many 3D printers have been in space?
The Phys.org article Artificial meat is now made in space, coming to a supermarket near you has me wondering
how many 3D printers have been in space?
how many 3D printers have been in space but not ...
16
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2answers
2k views
What (if any) replacement parts have been 3D printed on the ISS and then installed?
The Phys.org article Six degrees of nuclear separation contains the following sentence in the introduction paragraph for background
Astronauts now print their own parts in space to repair the ...
2
votes
1answer
160 views
Which solar system objects could a space elevator be built on with modern tech?
Which solar system objects have the right combination of low gravity and fast spinning rate, that an object tall enough to be a space elevator could be built on with modern construction tech?
By "...
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vote
1answer
210 views
Is there likely to be much nitrogen in the Moon's inner crust?
Is there likely to be much nitrogen in the Moon's inner crust? My thinking is that if we can extract enough nitrogen from the moon, we may be able to build a Terran space elevator out of Kevlar ...
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3answers
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Where will we get nitrogen in space?
It's expensive to launch things out of a gravity well. So in the future, as we seek to manufacture things in space, it's worth exploring the possibility of harvesting them there as well.
In the ...
11
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1answer
105 views
Examples of space research applied to Earthly manufacturing
I remember reading utopian predictions about space manufacturing. It's clear that factories in space delivering consumer goods for your local retailer is not going to happen in the near future.
But I'...
6
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2answers
2k views
Could Martian soil be used as material for a 3d metal printer?
I know this sounds like a 3d printing question, but it is more space oriented so bear with me.
My reasoning for this post is that the Martian soil is comprised mainly of iron oxide, which gives it ...
9
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2answers
1k views
Supports in 3d printing
Do astronauts print 3D in space with supports? They are needed only because of gravity, which - on a space station - obviously is not a problem.
4
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2answers
449 views
Comparing gravity wells: Earth from the Moon vs Surface of Mars
Hypothetically if a manufacturer was considering building a factory on the Moon or on Mars, which location has the smaller gravity well to escape? Assuming final destination of the goods produced is ...
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0answers
43 views
Which 3D printing technology will Archinaut vessel use?
The 3D printing company Made in Space works on a device to introduce 3D printing in space referenced as Archinaut. Is it known which technology/material will be used?
2
votes
1answer
198 views
3D metal printer in microgravity possible?
After reading on regarding in situ manufacturing in space, I've found out there is already a 3D printer for plastic on ISS, and the company behind it works on a space craft to manufacture larger (...
4
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1answer
133 views
Part 1 - Wires, fasteners, and other metal hardware - mundane in-situ on Mars
Fasteners - screws, bolts, washers, brackets, conduit, nuts, wire - both coated and uncoated
There are many sources of how we will mine the regolith for ores that contain useful quantities of water, ...
3
votes
2answers
435 views
Manufacturing rope, textile, and clothing on Mars
I'm wondering what the most space and mass efficient system is to construct woven products such as rope, textiles, or clothing on Mars. Current textile production strategies often rely on methods ...
14
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2answers
349 views
What was being manufactured on Salyut and Mir?
Last weekend I attended a prelection at Polish Aviation Museum, on modern trends in aviation. The lecturer talked quite a bit of history too, and Soviet achievements were in as much focus as the ...
9
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4answers
305 views
What engineering processes (satellite/space vehicle related) require an atmosphere
So we all know that there are lots of engineering processes that are made 100 times better by negligible gravity, and that certain engineering process need to be performed in a vacuum (electron beam ...
10
votes
1answer
638 views
Manufacturing solar cells on the Moon
How practical is it to manufacture solar cells on the Moon? I understand there is a lot of silica there, and in theory if we could robotically make and deploy solar cells on the Moon, then we would (...
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4answers
1k views
Is current state-of-the-art additive manufacturing (aka 3D printing) good enough to build parts out of Moon/Mars dust?
Additive manufacturing is currently being proposed as a way to greatly decrease the cost of establishing a permanent (robotic or human) presence on the Moon or Mars by sending only 3D printers to ...
