SDSU students to develop 3D printing materials for International Space Station
South Dakota State University is one of 10 university teams selected to work on technologies to support NASA’s deep space exploration capabilities.
South Dakota State University (SDSU, Brookings, SD, US) announced on Aug. 3 it is one of 10 university teams selected to work on technologies to support NASA’s deep space exploration capabilities as part of the eXploration Systems and Habitation Academic Innovation Challenge, also known as X-Hab.
Mechanical engineering students at SDSU will help develop 3D printing materials that may one day be used at the International Space Station through a one-year, $25,000 NASA grant, according to assistant professor Todd Letcher.
A select team of four or five senior design students will collaborate with NASA, along with input from commercial partner Made In Space (Mountain View, CA, US), to develop and test innovative feedstock materials that can be 3D printed in space. Materials that show potential will then be used to print real-life objects, such as brackets, containers or wrenches, Letcher explains.
Other participating universities include the University of Michigan, University of Maryland and The Ohio State University.
Related Content
-
Infinite Composites: Type V tanks for space, hydrogen, automotive and more
After a decade of proving its linerless, weight-saving composite tanks with NASA and more than 30 aerospace companies, this CryoSphere pioneer is scaling for growth in commercial space and sustainable transportation on Earth.
-
A new era for ceramic matrix composites
CMC is expanding, with new fiber production in Europe, faster processes and higher temperature materials enabling applications for industry, hypersonics and New Space.
-
Industrializing additive manufacturing in the defense/aerospace sector
GA-ASI demonstrates a path forward for the use of additive technologies for composite tooling, flight-qualified parts.
