ISS Multi-Material Fabrication Laboratory Using Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing Technology

The goal of this program is to demonstrate the use of Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) solid state metal 3D printing to provide in-space, on-demand manufacturing capabilities to support the unique challenges of long-duration human spaceflight. Previous and ongoing work in NASA SBIR programs has demonstrated the ability to 3D print quality metal parts using UAM. The goal of this Phase I program is to demonstrate the feasibility to reduce the size and power consumption of current UAM machine technology to 3D print aerospace grade aluminums for In-Space manufacturing. In fact, for the UAM process, operation in a micro-gravity environment contributes to power reduction goals expressed in recent NASA documents (NASA, 2016).

NASA applications include use on the ISS in addition to any research and development on UAM and metallic consolidation.

Other applications of this technology could be in defense and on the spot fixes for novel parts in addition to research ventures and commercial space structure programs. This project could enable the high-performance, technology-leading nature of the organizations and their missions.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.