Freeform 3D Printing of a Tall Lunar Tower

Branch Technology proposes using its lightweight, material-efficient, truss-producing additive manufacturing technology called "Freeform" 3D printing as inspiration for the challenge of assembling a tall truss-based tower for power generation and communications on the lunar surface. Branch has developed the capability to autonomously deposit and solidify printed material in free space without supports, creating a lightweight and geometrically optimized truss or lattice structure called the BranchMatrixTM that creates structural, volumetric geometries with minimal amounts of material. With reimagined deployment concepts and mechanical hardware for the relevant structure size and lunar environment, this fabrication process could be adapted to larger scale trusses, including the potential for lunar surface construction of a power/communications tower. In this project, Branch proposes to (1) identify a portfolio of viable approaches for constructing or assembling a lunar truss tower inspired by Freeform 3D printing, (2) create an initial design iteration concept for each approach, downselect the best approach and (3a) begin design of a robotic tool/end-effector and (3b) begin design of the tower structure and deployment/assembly sequence, (4) optimize the tower’s structural design with Freeform 3D printing principles to minimize material usage and maximize strength, (5) incorporate potential tower outfitting strategies into the design, and (6) produce a 1/10th-scale demonstration tower based on the downselected design. The technology that enables this lunar infrastructure could be deployed for other lunar surface use-cases, as well as for structural fabrication and geometric optimization projects for terrestrial use – whether for spanning elements, bridge or trussing members, or building construction. The funds requested in this SBIR Phase I proposal will enable the preliminary design and demonstration objectives described above.