US space agency to fund project looking into potential of recycling and remanufacturing in space using 3D printers.
Resource Efficient Business reported that NASA has selected California-based company Made In Space to receive a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) Phase 1 award for two $125,000 (€91,000) projects; one of which will see the company develop its R3DO scheme – a plastic recycling system for creating 3D printer consumables in-orbit.
The concept of the project is that “used parts made of ABS plastic will be recycled and remanufactured using 3D printers on-board vessels such as the International Space Station (ISS) or potentially on future deep-space missions”; with the proposal summary of the R3DO scheme stating: “An automated in-space recycling system for 3D printer feedstock will provide game-changing resupply benefits including but not limited to launch mass reduction, mission reliability increases, and decreased reliance on resupply from Earth.
“To bring these benefits to ISS in the near term, Made in Space proposes the further development of its unique recycling system, called R3DO, for transforming ABS plastic parts on ISS into 3D printer filament feedstock.”
Meanwhile the second project involves Made In Space working with the University of Florida to look into “fabricating electronics containing both metals and plastics on-board vessels”.
A further intention of the scheme is for the projects to have application on Earth as well as in space, and so the company is reportedly “discussing whether its technology could be used by the US Navy onto its operations and logistics”. The technology is also expected to “advance the current capabilities of the 3D printing industry”, potentially leading to improvements in “in-situ manufacturing” and to “resource extraction” as well as “reducing waste storage requirements”.