Redwire Manufactures Ceramic Part in Space



Redwire, the new leader in mission critical space solutions announced that its Ceramic Manufacturing Module (CMM) – initially developed by Made in Space – successfully manufactured a ceramic part in space. Its module is based on stereolithography (SLA) and uses pre-ceramic resins. It managed to manufacture a single-piece ceramic turbine blisk along with a series of material test samples. The ceramic blisk and test coupons will be stowed and returned to Earth for analysis, aboard the SpaceX Dragon CRS-21 spacecraft. Redwire launched on June 1 2020, emerging out of a combination of two acquisitions. Just after, the company Made in Space was also acquired by Redwire.

The successful manufacture of these test samples in space is an important milestone to demonstrate the potential for the CMM to produce ceramic parts that exceed the quality of turbine components made on Earth. Tom Campbell, President of Made in Space, commented: “This is an exciting milestone for space enabled manufacturing and signals the potential for new markets that could spur commercial activity in low Earth orbit. Building on our in-space manufacturing expertise and our partnership with NASA, Redwire is developing advanced manufacturing processes on orbit that could yield sustainable demand from terrestrial markets and creating capabilities that will allow humanity to sustainably live and work in space.”


The 3D printed ceramic blisk and test coupons will be stowed and returned to Earth for analysis | Image via Redwire

 

Made in Space’s primary mission was to bring in-space manufacturing to the global space economy; today, the company has been acquired by Redwire but its mission continues. In fact, its Ceramic Manufacturing Module demonstrates that ceramic AM in microgravity could enable temperature resistant reinforced ceramic parts with better performance, including higher strength and lower residual stress.

 

 

This additive manufacturing technology could be used in applications such as turbines, nuclear plants, or internal combustion engines, even small strength improvements can yield years-to-decades of superior service life. Redwire’s CTO, Michael Snyder explains: “The space manufacturing capabilities demonstrated by CMM have the potential to stimulate demand in low Earth orbit from terrestrial markets which will be a key driver for space industrialization.”


The Ceramic Manufacturing Module | Image via Made in Space

 

CMM was developed in partnership with the ISS Research Integration Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Made In Space first demonstrated the SLA printing technology found inside CMM through a series of parabolic flights funded through NASA’s Flight Opportunities program in 2016. Additional technical partners for the CMM mission include HRL Laboratories and Sierra Turbines. The successful CMM mission builds upon Redwire’s flight heritage with four other additive manufacturing facilities developed by the Made In Space team that have successfully flown and operated on the space station. You can find more information HERE.

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