Additive Manufacturing of Brackets Saves 1 Kilogram per Satellite
Because of complexity, material and quantity, spacecraft and satellite components are good candidates for additive production.
Satellites and spacecraft components are excellent candidates for additive manufacturing. One reason is that weight is critical—every ounce saved is an ounce that does not have to be launched into space. Another reason is that these parts are typically made of materials that are hard to machine. Still another reason is that the parts are made in low quantities. Additive manufacturing is unfazed by any of these challenges—part complexity, the machinability of the metal and the smallness of the batch size all do not affect its cost or difficulty.
We recently wrote about how additive manufactured components are on their way to Jupiter in the Juno spacecraft. Another spacefaring success now comes from Airbus, which recently shifted the brackets that hold reflectors and other hardware on satellites to additive manufacturing. Redesigning the brackets for this additive production allowed Airbus to use less material, ultimately cutting nearly 1 kilogram per satellite.
Learn more about the application in this report from EOS.
(Brackets, by the way, are an underappreciated opportunity, says this additive manufacturing authority.)
Related Content
-
Sciaky Manufactures Critical EBAM Component for Intuitive Machines’ Moon Landing
The Sciaky engine component was the upper section of the IM-1 lander’s main engine nozzle, which provided the main source of thrust for descent in the February 2024 mission to the Moon.
-
Cryogenic Tanks for Space Refueling: The Cool Parts Show All Access
NASA's Paul Gradl describes an important application of AM beyond the spacecraft itself: refueling the spacecraft. Directed energy deposition offers the most practical way to produce aluminum tanks to keep fuel supercool.
-
Supernova Creates Defense and Space Business Unit to Develop 3D Printing of Military-Grade Energetic Materials
Target applications for the new business unit include solid rocket motors which are critical components for the next-generation hypersonic platforms.
