In-Space Manufacturing of Materials and Structures

The rapid manufacturing and assembly of large space structures in orbit and on the surface of the Moon will unlock a new space economy and enable lunar infrastructure. We are developing in-space manufacturing processes for carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites to be used as structural elements by exploiting rapid, low-energy frontal polymerization within a novel space-compatible machine design platform. We are also developing stable resin chemistry to enable on-demand manufacturing of high-strength, mass-efficient hollow structural elements in space. This new approach can be applied to manufacture a wide range of load-bearing structures with minimal energy.​

​Team members: Profs. Baur, Geubelle, Moore, Sottos, Tawfick ​

Sponsors: DARPA