TY - JOUR A1 - Neumann, Christian A1 - Thore, Johannes A1 - Clozel, Mélanie A1 - Günster, Jens A1 - Wilbig, Janka A1 - Meyer, Andreas T1 - Additive manufacturing of metallic glass from powder in space JF - npj Microgravity N2 - Additive manufacturing of metals – and in particular building with laser-based powder bed fusion – is highly flexible and allows high-resolution features and feedstock savings. Meanwhile, though space stations in low Earth orbit are established, a set of visits to the Moon have been performed, and humankind can send out rovers to explore Venus and Mars, none of these milestone missions is equipped with technology to manufacture functional metallic parts or tools in space. In order to advance space exploration to long-term missions beyond low Earth orbit, it will be crucial to develop and employ technology for in-space manufacturing (ISM) and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU). To use the advantages of laser-based powder bed fusion in these endeavours, the challenge of powder handling in microgravity must be met. Here we present a device capable of building parts using metallic powders in microgravity. This was proven on several sounding rocket flights, on which occasions Zr-based metallic glass parts produced by additive manufacturing in space were built. The findings of this work demonstrate that building parts using powder feedstock, which is more compact to transport into space than wire, is possible in microgravity environments. This thus significantly advances ISRU and ISM and paves the way for future tests in prolonged microgravity settings. KW - Metallic Glass KW - Additive Manufacturing KW - Space PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-600667 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-023-00327-7 VL - 9 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-60066 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zocca, Andrea A1 - Wilbig, Janka A1 - Waske, Anja A1 - Günster, Jens A1 - Widjaja, Martinus A1 - Neumann, C. A1 - Clozel, M. A1 - Meyer, A. A1 - Ding, J. A1 - Zhou, Z. A1 - Tian, X. T1 - Challenges in the Technology Development for Additive Manufacturing in Space JF - Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering: Additive Manufacturing Frontiers N2 - Instead of foreseeing and preparing for all possible scenarios of machine failures, accidents, and other challenges arising in space missions, it appears logical to take advantage of the flexibility of additive manufacturing for “in-space manufacturing” (ISM). Manned missions into space rely on complicated equipment, and their safe operation is a great challenge. Bearing in mind the absolute distance for manned missions to the Moon and Mars, the supply of spare parts for the repair and replacement of lost equipment via shipment from Earth would require too much time. With the high flexibility in design and the ability to manufacture ready-to-use components directly from a computer-aided model, additive manufacturing technologies appear to be extremely attractive in this context. Moreover, appropriate technologies are required for the manufacture of building habitats for extended stays of astronauts on the Moon and Mars, as well as material/feedstock. The capacities for sending equipment and material into space are not only very limited and costly, but also raise concerns regarding environmental issues on Earth. Accordingly, not all materials can be sent from Earth, and strategies for the use of in-situ resources, i.e., in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), are being envisioned. For the manufacturing of both complex parts and equipment, as well as for large infrastructure, appropriate technologies for material processing in space need to be developed. KW - Additive manufacturing KW - Space KW - Process PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-549204 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjmeam.2022.100018 SN - 2772-6657 VL - 1 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-54920 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -