SBIR Phase I: 3D Printing Reentry Capsules

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to accelerate humanity’s utilization and exploration of space. The International Space Station spends $1 billion annually on cargo transport but has limited opportunities for payload return each year. This bottleneck is caused by outdated reentry vehicle production that hinders microgravity research and in-space manufacturing developments. The problem is becoming more pressing as commercial space stations are expected to increase space cargo return demand significantly in the next decade. By using 3-dimensional (3D) printing, manufacturing and refurbishment of entire reentry capsules (both the structure and heat shield) is 10 times faster and an estimated 95% lower in cost compared to traditional manufacturing. This innovative 3D printing solution will increase the cadence and lower the cost of space station cargo resupply and return, promoting the development of a robust low Earth orbit economy. Frequent returns of high-value payloads from space will have substantial impacts on several industries including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, fiber optics, etc. The technology will also provide rapid low-cost development of vehicles for various atmospheric entry or hypersonic applications including space resource return, deep space probes, rapid global delivery, hypersonic flight testing, and more. This SBIR Phase I project will develop 3D printing of high-strength heat shield materials. The research will test 3D printed specimens to demonstrate the feasibility of the first ever, entirely 3D printed capsules capable of surviving reentry from space. The core innovation is a platform technology that will be capable of rapid, large-scale, direct ink write 3D printing of aerospace-grade thermoset composite paste materials for the first time. To achieve this, the commercially available and widely proven thermoset resins will be cured directly at the point of deposition in seconds using a novel rapid heating method. These materials typically require hours in an oven to cure, so the project is expected to demonstrate curing the highest-performing aerospace-grade materials faster than they have ever been cured before. This in-situ curing direct ink write 3D printing innovation will be a breakthrough in aerospace composite manufacturing. The composite formulations used in the project will be made of the same raw materials as used on flight-proven reentry capsule heat shields, but tailorable to be as strong as aluminum at half the weight. The composites will perform as both the structure and heat shield on reentry capsules. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.