← Back to NASA Technology Projects
Completed TRL 4 (started at 2, targeting 4)
Additive manufacturing (AM) provides the capability on the Martian surface to produce tools and custom replacement parts for critical hardware with low waste and low energy utilization. A combination of ionic liquids-sourced iron (IL-Fe) and Bosch carbon (C) can be used to produce in-situ steel products on Mars. This research will elucidate the feasibility of IL-Fe and Bosch-C as viable resources to produce AM materials by means of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) for a habitable environment on Mars.
The application of this work is expected in the MMPACT, On-Demand Manufacturing of Electronic Components (ODME), and On-Demand Manufacturing of Metals (ODMM) projects. This work may play a future role in Outfitting at MSFC, as well as in the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM) area if future feedstocks for on-orbit manufacturing are obtained from planetary surfaces instead of Earth.
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — 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.