On-Orbit Manufacturing: A Change in Mindsets Needed

Aerospace is in the midst of a broad-based renaissance. Smallsat and Cubesat architectures are enabling numerous commercial operators to provide remote sensing and communications constellations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), areas that have recently only been serviced by large, expensive systems. Commercial space station developers are also knocking on the door of deploying the first private habitats in the early 2020s. Reusable heavy-lift vehicles with performance once reserved for the most high-octane, government-backed rockets are now being brought online by multiple private enterprises. An assumption, though, still lingers about how we deploy next-generation systems, with most thinking efficient deployables and satellite packaging within the fairing of a reusable launch vehicle is the answer.

While leveraging improved launch vehicles is smart, better rockets aren’t the entire solution. The complete solution includes leveraging advances in in-space manufacturing and assembly as well.

By designing a structure for its operational environment, rather than first to fold up and survive a rocket launch, in-space manufacturing and assembly enables more efficient and lower cost systems. We are able to develop and deploy space-optimized structures, which, thanks to the microgravity environment of space, can be significantly larger than traditional deployables while requiring as little as 10 percent of the mass. In the case of GEO-based telecommunications satellites, this enables reflectors larger than the state-of-the-art to be used, increasing gains.

More transformative, in-space manufacturing and assembly enables “big satellite” power for small satellites. Via in-space manufacturing and assembly, kilowatts of power can be provided on EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA)-class satellites, making these previously power-starved types of satellites capable of operating power-hungry payloads at fractions of the satellite and launch costs of 1,000-plus kilogram satellites.

Before we even build or launch a satellite, we need to first think about what we want it to do. What is the mission? Can it be accomplished using different technology? In 2018, that answer is usually yes; there are a number of alternatives (cubesats, laser communication systems, self-assembling interferometers, etc.) to accomplish the desired mission. The really rigid traditional structures we have used in space to provide such things as telecommunication services for decades are one option. But we can also build the backbone of a satellite in space using additive manufacturing and robotic assembly technology. These newer structures can be built with space-enabled, high-strength materials and we will soon have metal manufacturing capabilities in LEO.

For tomorrow’s space missions, we need our engineers to design for operating assumptions that meet the mission goals, whether they be communications, science, exploration, or military goals; not to immediately default to technology that has been used in the past. Many small launch vehicles and secondary payload opportunities now exist, providing lower cost alternatives. Further, as Moore’s Law has driven the miniaturization of powerful electronics, many mission packages fit on significantly smaller satellite buses than in the past. Physics has yet to adopt Moore’s Law, however and large signal gains remain tied to increasing aperture size. In-space manufacturing and assembly enables an effective shrinking of stowed apertures size, enabling meters across reflectors to be integrated into small satellite buses. Thus, via designing for in-space manufacturing and assembly, modern electronics can be coupled with large reflectors on smaller, cheaper satellites, providing big gains and big capability in a small form factor.

Similarly, solar energy collection is a slave to the surface area of the solar array. Utilization of in-space manufacturing and assembly may provide many square meters of solar array surface area on small satellites. The same technology could be used to provide thousands of square meters of solar arrays for human habitats in LEO or around the Moon. One day, these large-scale arrays could power electric propulsion-based Mars cruise vehicles and cislunar space tugs. But the full potential of these next-generation electronics can’t be realized if they are inter-linked to traditional satellite design concepts. Super dense electronics can deliver immensely enhanced capabilities but only if they are not limited by the design constraints of the structures housing them.

The paradigm shifts that in-space manufacturing and assembly enable will take time and champions to be fully realized. Progress is being made now, supported by visionaries within NASA, DARPA, and commercial enterprise. Systems which integrate these technologies can deliver significant capabilities at lower costs and enable new missions. As one of the many capabilities being introduced during the present renaissance in aerospace, in-space manufacturing and assembly delivers the most value when coupled with other emerging technologies. Shifting one’s mindset unlocks this value.

Andrew Rush is President & CEO of Silicon Valley-based Made In Space, Inc. He oversees the operations, business development, and strategy of Made In Space (MIS) as it continues to push boundaries of manufacturing technology in space, at sea, and in other extreme environments for government, commercial and defense customers.