Nonplanar Spaceborne Additively Manufactured Electronics

Micro-Precision Technologies, Inc. (MPT), in partnership with the Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing (CAMM) at Binghamton University, will develop a commercially-ready process for spaceborne additively manufactured electronics (AME) combining the ruggedness and reliability of MPT’s thick film ceramic technology with the design freedom of CAMM’s aerosol jet printing technology. The combination of these technologies allows the production of AME circuits on any arbitrary nonplanar surface with demonstrated compliance to IPC, NASA, and DOD standards for spaceborne printed circuit boards. These nonplanar space-qualified AME circuits will be used in space and terrestrial applications that require operation in extremely harsh environments but have severe or unique volume constraints that cannot accommodate traditional planar printed circuit boards.

NASA missions that will benefit from the nonplanar spaceborne AME circuits include mobile instrument platforms such as the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS), atmosphere probes, operational emulators such as the Ocean World Lander Autonomy Testbed (OWLAT), exploration programs such as Moon to Mars and Flight Opps, and the International Space Station (ISS).

Non-NASA applications for the nonplanar spaceborne AME circuits target space-constrained applications requiring operation in harsh environments, such as RF and microwave communications, CubeSats and nanosats, medical devices, downhole mining, and defense- and aerospace-related applications.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — 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.

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