"Creating spare parts, construction components, and tools on demand will be essential for long-distance and long-duration missions," said Daniel Neuenschwander, director of human and robotic exploration at ESA.
"Gravity management is also key, which is why we chose wire-based printing technology. The wire is independent of gravity unlike the powder-based system, which always has to fall to the ground," said Sébastien Girault, metal 3D printer system engineer at Airbus.
The 180kg printer can be used to repair or manufacture tools, mounting interfaces, and mechanical parts. It can print parts with a volume of nine centimeters high and five centimeters wide, with the process lasting about 40 hours.
This demonstrator shows that it's possible to create durable, high-strength parts in space, marking a significant advancement in our manufacturing capabilities for space exploration.
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