In-space 3D printing research paves way for future in-orbit fabricators 

Researchers at a Scottish university have taken one small step toward a future where orbital factories can 3D print future tech on-demand in space. Dr. Gilles Bailet, from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, has been awarded a patent for a novel system which is said to overcome the challenges of 3D printing in zero gravity. His technology has recently been rigorously tested during a series of trips on a research airplane.

When asked more about the patented process, Bailet told CW that the system was conceived with finer dipped polymer in mind. “This was successfully demonstrated in microgravity using PEEK granular material dipped with 30% short carbon fibers,” Bailet explains. “We are also working on technologies to embed continuous fibers for stiffer parts and also for health monitoring purposes. We are also looking at characterizing the performance of novel composite parts for space applications within a novel testing rig by performing tensile tests in a simulated space environment via a project funded by the UK Space Agency.”

Bailet says that solving the challenge of 3D printing objects in low-gravity environments could pave the way for orbital fabricators capable of producing parts and components which could be assembled into novel equipment in orbit. Equipment could include solar reflectors to generate zero-carbon power for transmission back to Earth, improved communication antennae or drug research stations that can create purer, more effective pharmaceuticals.

The research team’s prototype demonstrator proved its effectiveness in microgravity in November 2024.

For several years, Bailet has been working on a prototype 3D printer better suited for use in outer space. Instead of the filaments used in earthbound 3D printers, it uses a granular material developed by the team designed to work effectively in microgravity and in the vacuum of space. The material’s properties enable it to be drawn reliably from the prototype’s feedstock tank and delivered to the printer’s nozzle faster than any other method, according to Bailet.

In addition, Bailet and his colleagues are exploring methods of embedding electronics into the materials as part of the printing process, opening up the possibility of creating functional components for use in devices created in space, as well as recyclable space systems.

“Currently, everything that goes into Earth’s orbit is built on the surface and sent into space on rockets,” Bailet says. “They have tightly limited mass and volumes and can shake themselves to pieces during launch when mechanical constraints are breached, destroying expensive cargo in the process. If instead we could place fabricators in space to build structures on-demand, we would be freed from those payload restrictions. In turn, that could pave the way to creating much more ambitious, less resource-intensive projects with systems actually optimized for their mission and not for the constraints of rocket launches.

“Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is capable of producing remarkably complex materials quickly and at low cost,” he continues. “Putting that technology in space and printing what we need for assembly in orbit would be useful. However, what works well here on Earth is often less robust in the vacuum of space, and 3D printing has never been done outside of the pressurized modules of the ISS. The filaments in conventional 3D printers often break or jam in microgravity and in vacuum, which is a problem that needs to be solved before they can be reliably used in space. Through this research, we now have technology that brings us much closer to being able to do that.”

The research team’s prototype demonstrator proved its effectiveness in microgravity in November 2024 as part the 85^th European Space Agency parabolic flight campaign in collaboration with Novespace (Bordeaux, France). The test kit was taken on three flights, which provided the team with more than 90 brief periods of weightlessness at the apex of rollercoaster-like sharp ascents followed by rapid descents — a physical challenge which has earned the planes which fly the routes the “Vomit Comet” for their effect on passengers’ digestive systems.

During each 22-second period of weightlessness, the team closely monitored the prototype’s dynamics and power consumption, which showed that the system worked as designed in the challenges of microgravity. 

“3D printed space reflectors, like those being developed by my colleague professor Colin McInnes’ SOLSPACE project could gather energy from the sun 24 hours a day, helping us reach net-zero with an entirely new form of low-carbon power generation,” Bailet says, providing an example of how in-orbit 3D printed parts and structures could advance future space applications. “Similarly, crystals grown in space are often larger and more well-ordered than those made on Earth, so orbital chemical factories could produce new or improved drugs for delivery back to the surface.”

Bailet and his team are now looking for funding to help support the first in-space demonstration of their technology. They are also leading efforts, supported by funding from the UK Space Agency, to ensure that future in-space manufacturing projects do not contribute to the growing problem of space debris.

The in-space manufacturing project is supported by funding from the University of Glasgow’s Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fund and the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account. The program is supported via the RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies of professor Colin McInnes and the RAEng Proof of Concept award.