Until now, no research facility has been dedicated to ensuring that polymers, ceramics and metals printed in orbit will be able to withstand the extreme physical strains they will face in space.
Objects in space are subjected to a hard vacuum that cycles rapidly between extremes of temperature, conditions that can wreak havoc on the structure of 3D-printed materials, which aren’t rigorously constructed.
Imperfections such as tiny bubbles or poorly melted sections that might be inconsequential on Earth can behave differently in space. Those flaws could cause 3D-printed objects to shatter, scattering dangerous fragments into orbit which would contribute to the growing problem of ‘space junk’ – pieces of debris from defunct satellites, previous space missions, or collisions between human-made objects in orbit.
To address these challenges and push forward the field of space manufacturing, researchers at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering have built the NextSpace Testrig, a lab that functions exactly as if it was based in space.
Built in partnership with The Manufacturing Technology Centre, supported by £253,000 in funding from the UK Space Agency (UKSA), this facility uses a specially-constructed vacuum chamber capable of generating temperatures between -150°C and +250°C to create space-like conditions on Earth.
The NextSpace Testrig will focus on testing the structural integrity of materials that will be 3D printed in space.
“[…] The potential also comes with significant risk, which will be magnified if efforts to start 3D printing in space are rushed out instead of being properly tested. Objects move very fast in orbit, and if a piece of a poorly-made structure breaks off it will end up circling the Earth with the velocity of a rifle bullet. If it hits another object like a satellite or a spacecraft, it could cause catastrophic damage, as well as increase the potential of cascading problems as debris from any collisions cause further damage to other objects,” Dr Bailet said.
The NextSpace TestRig
“The NextSpace TestRig is open to academic colleagues, researchers and commercial clients from around the world to help them ensure that any materials they plan to 3D print in space will work safely. We also expect that the data we’ll be gathering in the years to come, which can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world at the moment, will help regulatory authorities to make safety standards for in-space manufacturing, informed by real-world testing,” he adds.
The testing facility features a unique magazine system that can autonomously test multiple samples in a single cycle, making it significantly more efficient than traditional testing methods. The system can apply up to 20 kilonewtons of force (equivalent to 2,000 kilograms) to break samples and analyse their properties in vacuum conditions matching those of space. It can also subject samples to cycles of extreme temperatures mimicking those they would face in orbit.
Dr. Bailet added: “We expect that the NextSpace TestRig will be of real use to the UK space industry in the years to come. Glasgow is already a centre of excellence for space technology – companies here manufacture the most satellites in the world outside the west coast of the USA. Our facility will help augment the capabilities of future spacecraft assembled in orbit, ensuring that the UK space sector can be more competitive internationally.”
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