The materials will be subjected to various conditions, including extreme temperatures and radiation, to validate their performance in the same environment where the satellites will operate. There, the material samples will experience the harshness of space in the ultimate test of their durability.

The investigation will utilize the MISSE Flight Facility (owned and operated by ISS National Lab Commercial Service Provider Aegis Aerospace) mounted to the exterior of the ISS. “The ability to 3D print materials for use in space opens up new possibilities for satellite design and construction while making spacecraft manufacturing more cost-effective and efficient.”Įduardo Rojas, director of the Wireless Devices and Electromagnetics Laboratory at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and his students are assisting with the experiment. Paolella, senior scientist and technical fellow with 元Harris, an aerospace and defense industry leader. “We’re excited to test the 3D printed materials for six months and compare the new results with previous ISS experiments and ground tests,” said Arthur C. Used for satellite communications and similar to computer chips, these circuits utilize light instead of electrons in conventional electronics, similar to how light carries information in fiber optic cables for phone and internet data.

This time, 元Harris will also test photonic material for a new technology called photonic integrated circuits. The project is a continuation of a 2021 experiment on the ISS that collected two months of data. NASAĪs 3D printed rockets, car parts, and even homes begin to hit the market on Earth, 元Harris Technologies aims to leverage the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory in its search for durable materials to 3D print satellite components.īefore 3D printed materials can be used to build more sustainable and efficient parts for spacecraft, they must be tested to ensure they can withstand the harsh environment of low Earth orbit (LEO).Īmong the payloads launching on SpaceX’s upcoming 27th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission is a project to test an 元Harris-designed 3D printed radio frequency (RF) circuit and various 3D printed material samples. The Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) Flight Facility on the exterior of the space station exposes materials to the harsh environment of space.

3d satellite map