World’s first space 3D printing test facility launched in Glasgow

NextSpace Testrig tests materials for future orbit-built spacecraft

Researchers at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering have unveiled world’s first dedicated testing facility for 3D-printed materials intended for space use.

Researchers at the James Watt School of Engineering in the University of Glasgow have built the NextSpace Testrig, the world’s first dedicated facility for testing the structural integrity of materials that will be 3D printed in space.

In a press statement, the University of Glasgow says that NextSpace Testrig was developed by Gilles Bailet, who works at the university in partnership with the Manufacturing Technology Centre, supported by GBP 253,000 (USD 338,000) in funding from the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA).

The statement adds that the facility, which uses a specially-constructed vacuum chamber capable of generating temperatures between -150°C and +250°C to create space-like conditions on Earth, is designed to help support the developing field of space manufacturing.

“3D printing is a very promising technology for allowing us to build very complex structures directly in orbit instead of taking them into space on rockets. It could enable us to create a wide variety of devices, from lightweight communications antennas to solar reflectors to structural parts of spacecraft or even human habitats for missions to the Moon and beyond,” says Bailet.

“However, the potential also comes with significant risk, which will be magnified if efforts to start 3D printing in space are rushed out instead of being properly tested. Objects move very fast in orbit, and if a piece of a poorly-made structure breaks off it will end up circling the Earth with the velocity of a rifle bullet. If it hits another object like a satellite or a spacecraft, it could cause catastrophic damage, as well as increase the potential of cascading problems as debris from any collisions cause further damage to other objects,” he adds.

According to the statement, until now, no research facility has been dedicated to ensuring that polymers, ceramics and metals printed in orbit will be able to withstand the extreme physical strains they will face in space.

“The NextSpace TestRig is open to academic colleagues, researchers and commercial clients from around the world to help them ensure that any materials they plan to 3D print in space will work safely. We also expect that the data we will be gathering in the years to come, which cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world at the moment, will help regulatory authorities to make safety standards for in-space manufacturing, informed by real-world testing,” says Bailet.

The testing facility features a unique magazine system that can autonomously test multiple samples in a single cycle, making it significantly more efficient than traditional testing methods. The system can apply up to 20 kilonewtons of force, equivalent to 2,000 kg, to break samples and analyse their properties in vacuum conditions matching those of space. It can also subject samples to cycles of extreme temperatures mimicking those they would face in orbit, adds the statement.

“We expect that the NextSpace TestRig will be of real use to the United Kingdome space industry in the years to come. Glasgow is already a centre of excellence for space technology – companies here manufacture the most satellites in the world outside the west coast of the USA. Our facility will help augment the capabilities of future spacecraft assembled in orbit, ensuring that the United Kingdom space sector can be more competitive internationally,” he adds.

“We are proud to have supported the University of Glasgow in developing the world’s first facility for testing 3D-printed materials in space-like conditions. This innovation will help to drive United Kingdom advancements in space manufacturing, unlocking numerous benefits and meeting the government’s growth ambitions while ensuring safe and sustainable space use,” says Iain Hughes, Head of the National Space Innovation Programme, United Kingdom Space Agency.