Ledbetter, Frank

Morgan, Kristin

Prater, Tracie

Werkheiser, Niki

NASA Technical Reports Server

In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) at 
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
. 
AIAA SPACE Conference 
2018
Tracie Prater, Ph.D.
ISM Technical Integration Lead
Niki Werkheiser
ISM Project Manager
Frank Ledbetter, Ph.D.
ISM Senior Technical Adviser
Kristin Morgan
ISM Multimaterial Fabrication 
Laboratory Technical Lead
A Portfolio of Fabrication and 
Recycling Technology Development 
for the International Space Station
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20180006405 2019-08-31T18:36:00+00:00Z
What is In-Space Manufacturing?
In-space manufacturing refers to any manufacturing process which operates in the 
space environment
• On-demand, “just in time” manufacturing for space
• Alternative to prepositioning of spares, launching parts and structures from 
earth
• Not limited to additive manufacturing
Tea. 
Earl Grey.
Hot.
In-space manufacturing removes constraints
3
Constraint1 Constraint removed by ISM?
Structures must be designed for launch 
loads.
ISM enables structures which are 
optimized for operation in space, not for 
launch loads.
Structures must fit within launch vehicle 
payload fairings.
ISM enables structures whose size is 
limited only by the fabrication volume of 
the ISM capability.
Materials must be disposed of at the end 
of their lifecycle.
Materials can be recycled and used for 
further manufacturing.
All the spare parts and equipment needed 
for on-orbit servicing or repair and 
replacement activities must be 
prepositioned. 
Spare parts can be made on-demand. ISM
capabilities can enable on-orbit servicing 
and repair of equipment.  
Component reliability and redundancy 
(R&R) largely driven by mission 
life/duration.
Redundancy is augmented by ISM 
capability to make components on
demand.  R&R requirements may be 
reduced in some instances when an ISM 
capability is present.
Paradigm shift
1. Table adapted from Moraguez, Matthew. “Technology Development Targets for In-Space Manufacturing.” Master’s thesis.  MIT, 
2018 
Why manufacture in space: The logistics quandary 
of long endurance spaceflight
4
Each square 
represents 1000 
kg
• Based on historical data, 95% of spares will never be used
• Impossible to know which spares will be needed
• Unanticipated system issues always appear, even after years of 
testing and operations
Image credit: Bill Cirillo 
(LaRC) and Andrew Owens 
(MIT)
ISS serves as a Key Exploration Test-bed for the Required ISM Technology Maturation & Demonstrations
Evolvable Path for In-Space Manufacturing
Pre-2012
• ISS 3DP Tech 
Demo: First 
Plastic Printer on 
ISS
• NIAC Contour 
Crafting
• NIAC Printable 
Spacecraft
• Small Sat in a Day
• AF/NASA Space-
based Additive 
NRC Study
• ISRU Phase II 
SBIRs
• Ionic Liquids
• Printable 
Electronics
• 3DP Tech Demo
• Add. Mfg. 
Facility (AMF)
• ISM 
Certification 
Process Part 
Catalog
• ISS & 
Exploration 
Material & 
Design 
Database
• External  
Manufacturing
• Autonomous 
Processes
• STEM (Future 
Engs.)
• Additive 
Construction
Gateway, Lunar
FabLabs
• Initial 
Robotic/Remote 
Missions
• Provision    feedstock
• Evolve to utilizing in-
situ materials 
(natural resources, 
synthetic biology)
• Product: Ability to 
produce, repair, and 
recycle parts & 
structures on 
demand; i.e.. “living 
off the land”
• Autonomous final 
milling
Mars Multi-Material 
FabLab
• Provision & Utilize in 
situ resources for 
feedstock 
• FabLab: Provides on-
demand 
manufacturing of 
structures, electronics 
& parts utilizing in-situ 
and ex situ 
(renewable) resources. 
Includes ability to 
inspect,  
recycle/reclaim, and 
post-process as 
needed autonomously 
to ultimately provide 
self-sustainment at 
remote destinations.
Mars Preparation
• Transport 
vehicle and 
sites require 
FabLab 
capability 
(adapt for in-
situ resource 
utilization)
• Additive 
Construction & 
Repair of large 
structures
Ground & Parabolic 
centric:
• Multiple FDM Zero-
G parabolic flights 
• Trade/System 
Studies for Metals
• Ground-based 
Printable 
Electronics/ 
Spacecraft
• Verification & 
Certification 
Processes under 
development
• Materials Database
• CubeSat Design & 
Development
Moon (Gateway) Mars
2014 2025 and beyond
3D Print Plastic 
Printing Demo FabLab (Metals, Elec.)
Polymer Mfg. & Recycling
External Mfg.
Ground & ISS Development & Demonstration Exploration Implementation
Material 
Characterization
Mat. Char. & Dev.
Polymer Mfg.
Additive Constr.
ISS: Multi-Material 
FabLab  Rack Test Bed 
(Springboard for Deep 
Space Gateway)
• Integrated Facility 
Systems for stronger 
multi-use materials 
including metals & 
polymers, embedded 
electronics, 
autonomous 
inspection & part 
removal, etc.
In-Space Recycler Tech 
Demo
Hab/DSG Demos
• Reinforced polymers 
• Crew health 
monitoring
• Components and 
supplies
• Structural health 
monitoring 
(embedded and 
surface-printed 
electronics)
2015-2024
to
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) on ISS: The First 
Step
6
3D Printing in Zero G Technology Demonstration Mission
• Operational on ISS in 2014
• Printer built and operated by Made in Space, Inc.
• Completed two rounds of operations
• Printed 55 specimens of Acryonitriled Butadiene 
Styrene (ABS)
• No engineering significant effect of microgravity on 
material outcomes observed
Fused filament fabrication:   
1) nozzle ejecting molten 
plastic, 
2) deposited material (modeled 
part), 
3) controlled movable table
Examples of specimens printed in phase 
I operations
Illustration of the FFF (process
Tech demo printer installed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox 
(MSG)
Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF)
7
Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF)
• 2nd generation printer for ISS
• FFF system owned and operated by Made in Space, Inc.
• Can print in High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Acrylonitrile 
Butadiene Styrene (ABS), and ULTEM 9085 (PEI/PC)
• To date, NASA has printed a number of functional parts for 
ISS with this capability
• NASA is currently executing a materials characterization plan 
to develop design values for ABS produced with AMF The Made in Space Additive Manufacturing 
Facility (AMF)
SPHERES Tow Hitch: SPHERES 
consists of 3 free-flying 
satellites on-board ISS.  Tow 
hitch joins two of the SPHERES 
satellites together during 
flight. Printed 2/21/17.
REM Shield Enclosure:
Enclosure for radiation 
monitors inside Bigelow 
Expandable Activity Module 
(BEAM).  Printed 3/20/17 (1 of 
3).  Others printed 5-30 and 6-
16.  All are now installed on 
BEAM.
Antenna Feed Horn: 
collaboration between NASA 
Chief Scientist & Chief 
Technologist for Space 
Communications and 
Navigation, ISM & Sciperio, 
Inc.  Printed 3/9/17 and 
returned on SpaceX-10 
3/20/17.
OGS Adapter: adapter attaches 
over the OGS air outlet and 
fixtures the velocicalc probe in the 
optimal location to obtain a 
consistent and accurate reading of 
airflow through the port. 
7/19/2016. 
The ReFabricator: Closing the Manufacturing Loop
8
• Refabricator is an integrated 3D printer (FFF) and 
recycler for ULTEM 9085 (PEI/PC)
• Phase III SBIR contract with Tethers Unlimited, 
Inc.
• Recycles 3D printed plastic into filament 
feedstock through the Positrusion process 
• Refabricator demonstrates feasibility of plastic 
recycling in a microgravity environment for long 
duration missions
• Phase I of on-orbit operations consists of 7 
printing an recycling cycles
• Filament left on spool from each recycling cycle 
and 5 tensile specimens per cycle will be 
downmassed to earth for testing and evaluation
• Operational on ISS in late 2018
Sterilization of Recycled Polymer Materials
9
• ERASMUS from Tethers Unlimited (NASA SBIR Phase II)  is a Medical-Grade 
and Food-Safe Plastic Recycling and Sanitization System
• ERASMUS will enable use of recycled materials for medical grade and food-
safe applications on ISS
• bacteria and viruses are more virulent in space and crew immune 
systems tend to be compromised
• ERASMUS provides a dry heat sterilization process and UV sanitization 
routine which can be integrated with 3D printing and recycling systems 
Examples of biomedical components and food utensils 
manufactured with ERASMUS.  Image courtesy of TUI.
Recyclable Materials (Phase II SBIRs)
10
• Mature recyclable launch packaging material 
to enable sustainable manufacturing and 
reuse of otherwise nuisance materials on 
deep space missions
• Phase II-X: Customizable Recyclable 
International Space Station Packaging 
(CRISSP) from Tethers Unlimited
• process for 3D printing of customized foam 
packaging
• testing demonstrated that this packaging can 
provide vibration protection equivalent to or 
exceeding current materials used as ISS 
packaging
• test samples were recycled into filament for 
3D printing and degradation studies assessed 
reduction in material characteristics over 
multiple recycling cycles
• CRISSP Phase II-X effort focuses on redesign 
and upgrade of TUI’s ReFabricator system for 
multimaterial capabilities
CRISSP (image from Tethers 
Unlimited)
11
Recyclable Materials (Phase II SBIRs)
• Phase II-X SBIR: Reversible Copolymer Materials for 
FDM 3-D Printing of Non-Standard Plastics from 
Cornerstone Research Group (CRG)
• Under a phase II SBIR, CRG developed 
thermally-reversible polymer materials 
compatible with fused filament fabrication 
(FFF) systems
• These materials are designed to be recycled, 
blended, and extruded.
• Additives can also be combined with existing 
waste packaging, enabling reclamation of 
filament for additive manufacturing from 
packaging materials.
• In the phase II-X effort, CRG will conduct 
further characterization of their thermally 
reversible material and scale the associated 
polymer resin production and packaging 
production processes 
• includes testing needed to certify this 
material for spaceflight applications
FDM prints using reclaimed anti-static 
bagging film with reversible cross-linking 
additive (image from Cornerstone 
Research Group)
Beyond Plastics: Hybrid Additive Manufacturing 
for Metals (Phase II SBIRs)
12
• Several projects under SBIR Phase II funding are developing metal manufacturing 
capabilities for in-space manufacturing and accompanying subtractive processes 
needed to provide a finished part
• Vulcan from Made in Space, Inc. 
• Weld-based additive manufacturing process for metal fabrication, a CNC mill 
for processing, and an automated capability for movement of the part 
between subsystems
• Phase II work includes design, construction, and testing of an integrated, 
prototype unit to perform hybrid manufacturing functions
. Metal part produced with Vulcan manufacturing system.  Image courtesy of MIS, Inc.
13
Beyond Plastics: Hybrid Additive Manufacturing 
for Metals (Phase II SBIRs)
• ISS Fabrication Laboratory using Ultrasonic 
Additive Manufacturing (UAM) Technology
from UltraTech Machinery
• Ultrasonic additive manufacturing 
process
• solid-state process that occurs at 
room temperature
• uses sound waves to remove the 
oxide layer between adjacent layers 
of metal foil, creating a metallurgical 
bond
• UltraTech and subcontractor 
Fabrisonic, Inc. designed and tested a 
30 kHz sonotrode which reduced 
process forces and enabled scaling of 
the process
• Early tests of the prototype system 
produced quality material in 6016 T6 
and 7075 T6 and enabled material 
production at significantly lower 
power and forces
Illustration of UAM process.  
Image courtesy of UltraTech
Beyond Plastics: Hybrid Additive Manufacturing 
for Metals (Phase II SBIRs)
14
• Metal Advanced Manufacturing Bot-
Assisted Assembly (MAMBA) from 
Tethers Unlimited combines three 
technologies to provide a precision 
metallics manufacturing capability for 
ISS 
• a press that processes virgin or 
scrap material into a metal ingot
• a CNC mill designed to operate in 
microgravity
• a robotic assistant to facilitate 
automated processing of 
material/parts through the 
subsystems
• MAMBA applies the same Positrusion
process used to recycle plastics in the 
ReFabricator to aerospace grade 
metals.
Schematic of MAMBA system.  
Image courtesy of TUI
Additive Manufacturing of Metals For Space 
(Phase II-E SBIR)
15
• Sintered Inductive Metal Printer with Laser Exposure (SIMPLE) 
from Techshot
• 3D metal printer in which a ferromagnetic wire metal 
filament is heated to its Curie temperature through 
induction
• Metal deposited on a build platform where a low power
laser completes the melt
Sintered Inductive Metal Printer with Laser Exposure (SIMPLE).  
Image courtesy of Techshot.   
In-space manufacturing of electronics
16
• evaluating technologies to enable multi-material, on-demand digital 
manufacturing of components for sustainable exploration missions
• In-house work uses nScrypt printer
• 4 heads for dispensation of inks and FDM of polymers; also has 
pick and place capability
• Developed and demonstrated the functionality of a passive wireless humidity 
sensor intended for the in-line monitoring of systems. 
• Sensing material also developed in-house at MSFC
• ECLSS and ISM are planning to perform ground development testing of 
sensors in the ECLSS environment which introduce the presence of CO, 
CH4, and H2
• Completed initial design concept of the first printable ECLSS pressure switch.
• In additive design, switching is accomplished via a pressure sensitive 
material turning a transistor on when the system exceeds a certain 
pressure
• Work on miniaturization and adaptation of printable electronics for 
microgravity environment will continue through two contracts (phase I) 
awarded under SBIR subtopic In-Space Manufacturing of Electronics and 
Avionics
• Techshot, Inc.  (STEPS – Software and Tools for Electronics Printing in 
Space) – Phase I complete in Dec. 2017
• Direct write and avionics printing capability for ISS 
• Optomec (miniaturization of patented Aerosol Jet technology) –
Phase I complete in Dec. 2017
Printed wireless humidity sensor 
(wires attached for 
characterization purposes)
nScrypt multimaterial printer
Printable ECLSS 
pressure  switch
Multimaterial Fabrication Laboratory for the 
International Space Station
17
• Aligned with vision of in-space manufacturing 
project to develop and test on-demand, 
manufacturing capabilities for fabrication, 
repair and recycling during Exploration missions
• ISM offers:
• Efficiency gain and risk reduction for deep 
space exploration
• “Pioneering” approach to maintenance, 
repair, and logistics will lead to sustainable, 
affordable supply chain model
• In order to develop application-based 
capabilities for Exploration, ISM must leverage 
the significant and rapidly-evolving terrestrial 
technologies for on-demand manufacturing
• Requires innovative, agile collaboration 
with industry and academia
• NASA-unique Investments to focus 
primarily on developing the skillsets and 
processes required and adapting the 
technologies to the microgravity 
environment and operations
Ultimately, an integrated “FabLab” facility 
with the capability to manufacture multi-
material components (including metals and 
electronics), as well as automation of part 
inspection and removal will be necessary 
for sustainable exploration opportunities.  
18
• Minimum capabilities for Fabrication Laboratory for ISS
o On-demand manufacturing of metallics and other materials in the microgravity 
environment
o Includes safety, waste management, and containment of debris
o Ability to process a range of metals for in-space applications
o Ability to operate in a reduced gravity environment
o Minimum build envelope of 6”x6”x6”
o High geometric part complexity and accuracy
o Ability to fit within EXPRESS rack constraints (ex. power, mass, volume)
o Earth-based remote commanding
o Remote commanding for all nominal tasks, including part removal and 
handling
o Post-processing requirement on crew for part readiness should be 
minimized
o In-line remote/autonomous inspection and quality control
o Incorporate inspection/verification capabilities to ensure quality control 
(assess tolerances, voids, etc.)
o Metallurgical quality of finished part
o Power consumption for FabLab is limited to 2000 W, payload mass
limit is 576 lbm.
Multimaterial Fabrication Laboratory for the 
International Space Station
19
Multimaterial Fabrication Laboratory for the 
International Space Station
• Phase A awards for the NEXT-STEP Broad Agency 
Announcement (BAA) went to:
• Tethers Unlimited of Bothell, Washington
• Techshot, Inc. of Greenville, Indiana
• Interlog Corporation of Anaheim, California
• 18 month period of performance to develop a ground-based 
prototype system
• Includes materials characterization and demonstration of 
inspection capabilities
Techshot FabLab will be compatible 
with the space station’s EXPRESS Rack. 
Remotely controlled operations from 
Earth will manufacture multi-material 
components, including metals, 
ceramics, plastics and electronics.
20
• Tethers Unlimited, Inc. (TUI) Empyrean FabLab increases astronaut efficiency by 
providing autonomous processing and verification and validation services in a 
system designed for microgravity operation.  
• focus on a suite of support technologies for microgravity-enabled multi-
material manufacturing, including robotic handling, quality control, 
autonomy, and teleoperation capabilities.
Multimaterial Fabrication Laboratory for the 
International Space Station
TUI Empyrean Fab Lab (image courtesy of TUI).  
Partners include IERUS technologies and 
BluHaptics.
21
Multimaterial Fabrication Laboratory for the 
International Space Station
o Interlog Corporation (Interlog) will develop the Microgravity Multiple Materials Additive Manufacturing 
(M3AM) technology to provide on-demand manufacturing solutions for fabrication, maintenance, and 
repair on space missions. 
o M3AM is capable of manufacturing various aerospace-grade metallic parts such as Aluminum, 
Titanium, Nickel, and other metallics. M3AM can also bond dissimilar materials (e.g., metals, glass 
epoxy, flexible ceramics). 
o M3AM is enabled by Interlog’s proprietary manufacturing technique that additively constructs a part 
via a focused bonding-energy mechanism. 
o M3AM seeks to offer multi-material AM on a single platform, autonomous operation, dissimilar 
material bonding for electronics and PCB (Printed Circuit Board) fabrication as additional features, 
autonomous part removal, and multiple material feeding mechanisms.
M3AM Interlog’s engineers, Veronica Swanson (left) and Andy Peng (right), are performing a proof of 
concept test with a newly-developed prototype for multiple materials additive manufacturing in a single 
platform. Image courtesy of Interlog.
22
Closing thoughts
• Key challenges to ISM implementation are socialization of capabilities with the design 
community and integration of ISM into exploration systems currently under development. 
• ISM is a critical capability for the long endurance missions NASA seeks to undertake in the 
coming decades and also an important aspect of low earth orbit commercialization 
initiatives. 
• ISM will continue to create and leverage partnerships with industry, small business, and 
academia to conduct technology development. 
• The use of ISS as a proving ground for manufacturing systems will pave the way for the 
transition to earth-independent exploration class missions in the post-ISS era.


A Portfolio of Fabrication and Recycling Technology Development for the International Space Station

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