Researchers from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering have been awarded a patent for a new system allowing 3D printing in zero-gravity. 

The university said that the technology, developed by Dr Gilles Bailet, solves the challenge of 3D printing objects in low-gravity environments, and could pave the way for orbital fabricators capable of producing new parts and components for equipment in orbit.

That equipment could include solar reflectors to generate zero-carbon power for transmission back to Earth, improved communication antennae, or drug research stations that can create purer, more effective pharmaceuticals.

Instead of the filaments used in regular 3D printers, the new tech uses a granular material developed by Dr Baliet’s team to work effectively in microgravity and the vacuum of space. 

The unique properties of the material allow it to be drawn reliably from the prototype’s feedstock tank and delivered to the printer’s nozzle faster than any other method.

The team are now exploring methods of embedding electronics into the materials as part of the printing process, opening up the possibility of creating functional components for use in devices created in space as well as recyclable space systems.

“Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is capable of producing remarkably complex materials quickly and at low cost. Putting that technology in space and printing what we need for assembly in orbit would be fantastically useful,” said Dr Bailet.

“The filaments in conventional 3D printers often break or jam in microgravity and in vacuum, which is a problem that needs to be solved before they can be reliably used in space. 

“Through this research, we now have technology that brings us much closer to being able to do that, providing positive impacts for the whole world in the years to come.”

According to Glasgow University, Dr Bailet’s prototype demonstrator proved its effectiveness in microgravity last November, as part of the 85th European Space Agency parabolic flight campaign in collaboration with Novespace in Bordeaux, France.

The team took their test kit on three flights which provided them with brief periods of weightlessness lasting just twenty-two seconds, during which the prototype’s dynamics and power consumption were closely monitored, showing that the system worked as designed in micorgravity.  

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“We’ve tested the technology extensively in the lab and now in microgravity, and we’re confident that it’s ready to perform as expected, opening up the possibility of 3D printing antenna and other spacecraft parts in space,” added Bailet.

Dr Bailet and his team are now looking for funding to help support the first in-space demonstration of their technology, as well as leading efforts, supported by the UK Space Agency, to ensure that future in-space manufacturing projects do not contribute to the growing problem of space debris.