In-space manufacturing, also referred to as in-orbit or off-Earth fabrication, is an expanding industry.
Types of In-Space Manufacturing
- Space-for-space: Products manufactured in space for use within space environments, such as the assembly of the International Space Station.
- Space-for-surface: Items produced in space for deployment on other celestial bodies like Mars or the Moon.
- Space-for-Earth: Objects made in orbit for use on Earth, including pharmaceuticals and fiber-optic cables.
Advantages of Space Environment
The space environment provides specific conditions beneficial for fabrication: vacuum, low temperature, and microgravity. Professor Volker Hessel, a space resource and chemical engineering expert at the University of Adelaide, stated that microgravity inhibits mixing by natural convection. This reduced gravitational force allows biological tissues to expand more freely, potentially yielding more significant results in medicinal investigations compared to Earth, where cells are subject to constant compression from gravity. Replicating these microgravity conditions on Earth is an expensive endeavor.
Current and Future Applications
Future applications for in-space manufacturing are projected to include nanomaterials, specialized alloys, and hyper-specialized semiconductors. According to Volker Hessel, the production of small quantities of high-quality materials in space for Earth applications is promising. However, the large-scale production of materials in space for Earth use has not yet demonstrated economic viability.
Fiber-optic cables, which achieve superior quality when manufactured in microgravity, are currently being produced on the International Space Station. Volker Hessel affirmed the economic rationale for manufacturing optical fibers in space. Additionally, Varda, a company, recently delivered space-produced HIV/AIDS medication to Earth. The terrestrial manufacturing of such pharmaceuticals often entails high costs due to specialized machinery.
Challenges and Considerations
In-space manufacturing relies on automation and advanced 3D printing technologies. Emerging advancements in AI and machine learning could enable new applications, such as space-based vertical farms. However, the compactness of space manufacturing presents challenges, including managing potential disease outbreaks in vertical farms, addressing maintenance costs, ensuring long-term operational viability, mitigating the accumulation of space debris, and establishing frameworks for space taxation.