Stratasys Ltd. plans to send some of its 3D-printed materials to the surface of the moon as part of an upcoming r&d mission sponsored by Northrop Grumman. The company says in a release Tuesday that its 3D-printed samples will be brought to the lunar surface by an unmanned lander in a carrier structure that was also 3D-printed by Stratasys and made from ULTEM 9085 thermoplastic, which is commonly used in aircraft interiors.
The experiments are part of Aegis Aerospace Inc.’s first Space Science & Technology Evaluation Facility (SSTEF) mission, known as SSTEF-1. The SSTEF is a commercial space testing service developed by Aegis Aerospace as part of NASA’s Tipping Point program. It’s aimed at providing r&d services on the surface of the moon.
The experiments with Stratasys’ 3D-printed materials are being sponsored by Northrop Grumman Corp., which is focused on three different materials as part of two experiments. One experiment will assess a sample coupon part made of Stratasys’ Antero 800NA FDM filament. The filament—a high-performance PEKK-based thermoplastic—will be filled with tungsten, which is intended to provide shielding from harmful radiation.
The second experiment, which the company is calling “passive,” will gauge how 3D-printed materials perform in space. It will include Stratasys’ Antero 840CN03 FDM filament, which has electrostatic discharge (ESD) properties for use with electronics and has been to space before as part of a mission with NASA’s Orion spacecraft. The experiment will also include a new ESD photopolymer manufactured by Henkel for use with Stratasys’ Origin One 3D printers. In this experiment, coupon samples of the 3D-printed materials will be subjected to moon dust, low pressure that can lead to outgassing and rapid temperature swings.
“Additive manufacturing is an important technology for space missions where every ounce of weight matters and high performance is essential,” Stratasys Chief Industrial Business Officer Rich Garrity says in Tuesday’s release. “This set of experiments will help us understand how to fully leverage 3D printing to keep people and equipment safe as we travel to the moon and beyond.”
A company spokesman for Stratasys says in an email to SME Tuesday that there is not yet a specific date for the space mission.
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