LEO Manufacturing of 3D Printed Covetic Nanomaterials for Advanced Electronics

An on-demand direct metal printing technology will be developed that can utilize the unique advantages of manufacturing in a zero-gravity Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment, to produce value-added next generation materials that are challenging to manufacture terrestrially. One such class of materials, covetics (nanocarbon-infused metals), are inherently difficult to produce on Earth but have great in-space and terrestrial commercial potential due to their enhanced physicochemical properties, such as higher thermal/electrical conductivity and higher strength at lower mass as compared to conventional wrought metals. This program will develop the technical capabilities of the direct print method and module to print covetic materials on-demand in an LEO environment with the desired material property enhancements. Alignment with NASA and commercial space needs, and acceleration of integration of the technology into NASArsquo;s mission, will be done by designing and building a direct print module and method can be incorporated into nScryptrsquo;s multi-module platform, for subsequent demonstration in a parabolic loop zero-gravity flight test. (Note: the nScrypt multi-module system is the same that NASArsquo;s On-Demand Manufacturing of Electronics group is installing on the International Space Station in FY2024). A successful demonstration of the direct print method and modulersquo;s viability through the zero-gravity flight test will align the covetic manufacturing technology with space approved hardware and reduce the entry barrier toward LEO demonstration in Phase IIE/III. Finally, the commercial viability will be established by outreach to the communities interested in covetic material properties and by identifying a pathway to system scale and implementation on commercial space platforms. As the market value is validated and technical method is demonstrated on International Space Station, we will work with commercial space companies (Axiom Space) to scale and transition the technology.