Many companies are working to solve the challenges of manufacturing and assembling products in low-earth orbit and beyond. The potential benefits of manufacturing in space are numerous, monetizing the commercial space industry and making it profitable.
Commercial space travel alone does not provide the profit motive to expand commercial space development. More profitable endeavors than sending celebrities to space must be demonstrated for future investment.
This endeavor could involve manufacturing products in space for use in space and on Earth. In 2019, according to Harvard Business Review, of the estimated $366 billion in revenue earned in the space sector, 95% came from goods and services produced in space for use on Earth.
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ZBLAN and Superalloys
Manufacturing in space is expensive; products must have a compelling cost, quality, or convenience advantage to justify space manufacture.
ZBLAN is being evaluated for space manufacturing, as 1 kg of the product (used to manufacture fiber optic cable) can cost as much as $1 million. Space manufacturing takes advantage of microgravity to improve the dispersion and performance of fiber optics.
Similarly, superalloys benefit from microgravity and the vacuum of space to improve material dispersion and reduce oxidizing layers.
Stem Cell Production
The 3D printing of functioning human hearts from stem cells is under evaluation for space manufacture. The microgravity atmosphere in low-earth orbit opens up the possibility of printing a human heart, ensuring all cells and tissues are organized and located appropriately.
Thanks to advances in 3D printing technology in space, the speed at which a heart can be printed is faster than on Earth, with the possibility of a two-month turnaround.
The production of food in space is also being explored. Companies are researching the possibility of producing “slaughter-free meat” by growing bovine cells from Earth in space using 3D printing. Such food could be used to feed astronauts and future space travelers.
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Micro-Chips and Wafers
Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is a superior semiconductor to silicon in several applications, including solar panels, defense, and aerospace. However, producing GaAs wafers is highly toxic; thus, space manufacturing would negate the issue of toxic waste.
Space-produced GaAs wafers would have significantly higher quality due to microgravity.
Research is also being conducted into reducing water consumption during the microchip manufacturing process in space. One Earth-manufactured 12” integrated circuit can require over 2,000 gallons of water for cleaning and cooling. Given the unique vacuum and temperature properties, this could be significantly reduced in space.
Manufacturing Equipment
Satellites designed on Earth are subject to the physical size restrictions of a launch vehicle and must be designed to withstand the rigors of launch.
Shipping components to space for assembly in low-earth orbit would allow for constructing larger and more functional space stations. This could also allow for greater standardization on lower-cost rockets.
Technetics in the Space Market
Technetics provides the seals and over-pressure solutions that many of today’s launch vehicles employ. They have the experience to provide the robust solutions the commercial space industry requires to overcome current and future challenges.
The Awe and Engineering of Space Exploration
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Acknowledgments
Produced from materials originally authored by John Guite from Technetics.
References
- Alloys & Superalloys. [Online] Axiom Space. Available at: https://www.axiomspace.com/manufacturing/alloys-superalloys (Accessed on 1 August 2024).
- RedWire. (2020). How In-Space Manufacturing Will Impact the Global Space Economy. [Online] RedWire. Available at: https://redwirespace.com/newsroom/how-in-space-manufacturing-will-impact-the-global-space-economy/ (Accessed on 1 August 2024).
- Voyager. (2021). How Space Manufacturing is a $158 billion Industry. [Online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wRGY90KiuI (Accessed on 1 August 2024).
- Weinzierl, M., Sarang, M. (2021). The Commercial Space Age Is Here. [Online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2021/02/the-commercial-space-age-is-here (Accessed on 1 August 2024).
- Staff, T. (2019). In first, Israeli company grows meat in space. [Online] The Times of Israel. Available at: https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-first-israeli-company-grows-steak-in-space/ (Accessed on 1 August 2024).
- Elinoff, G. (2019). Gallium Arsenide: Another Player in Semiconductor Technology. [Online] All About Circuits. Available at: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/gallium-arsenide-another-player-in-semiconductor-technology/ (Accessed on 1 August 2024).
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Technetics Group.
For more information on this source, please visit Technetics Group.