Additive manufacturing Will there soon be a 3D printer on the Moon?

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SIMTOS (Seoul International Machine Tool Show)

There is no hardware store on the Moon or Mars. If something breaks or a tool is missing, you can't just buy it. In the future, missing parts are to be printed with a 3D printer.

"We would be pioneers," says research leader Yilmaz Uygun. The breakthrough is to be achieved in a garage on the grounds of Constructor University in Bremen-Nord. A team of three students, a research associate, and logistics professor Uygun are developing a rotating 3D printer that does not require gravity.

Transporting spare parts has been cumbersome and expensive so far

So far, many components for space travel are unique and custom-made, which first need to be catapulted from Earth into space. "In space stations, resupply is a huge problem," explains the 42-year-old. "They have countless spare parts there just in case. It's so much junk that might not even be used."

In addition, there are the costs. Every kilogram that makes its way into orbit is expensive for space agencies. According to the German Aerospace Center (DLR), transport to the Moon costs about $107,000 per kilogram, and to Mars even several million euros.

The challenge is the energy needed for transport, explains Martin Sippel from the DLR Institute of Space Systems in Bremen. "For it to even reach space and then get to the destination relatively quickly, each part must be accelerated to high speed."

3D printer moves like a crab

The Bremen research team's 3D printer aims to make it faster and cheaper. The device should fold up like an umbrella and be launched to the moon with a spaceship, for example, says Uygun. Once it arrives, the printer will move like a crab on the celestial body, anchor itself in a suitable place, and begin its work. The energy supply is to be provided by solar panels.

The material for printing could initially be sent into space in powdered form, reports the professor. He is already in talks with a company that wants to extract raw materials from asteroids. "We're looking to see if we can use them directly for printing so we don't need resupply from Earth."

According to DLR scientist Marco Scharringhausen, the materials will determine how lucrative 3D printing in space will be. "A 3D printer certainly offers an advantage in creating parts for habitats on the Moon or Mars." With electronics, it will be more challenging because there are too many small components.

Largest 3D printer for industry

Originally, the Bremen research team wasn't focused on 3D printing. Instead, the team was developing special wind turbines for a pilot project in the Northwest Metropolis region. The construction of the wind turbines was so complex that the engineers quickly decided to build their own 3D printer for the purpose. "It's now the largest in an industrial style."

The oversized 3D printer can be observed through two glass doors. It features three arms, each mounted on rollers and driven by motors. They rotate and apply layer by layer of melted plastic. This way, parts up to three meters tall and heavy tools can be printed—especially for the aerospace industry. "This is ideal because if we want to develop something further, we can print it and then test it," explains the professor.

Involved in the next Moon mission?

Since the inventions from Bremen have attracted the interest of the aerospace industry, a lot has changed for Uygun and his team. They founded a startup and were admitted to the European Space Agency's (ESA) space incubator. "That really opens many doors," says Uygun. "The ESA supports us a lot in this."

Before the 3D printer can actually be sent into space, the team still has to solve some problems: the technology must withstand zero gravity and endure extreme temperature fluctuations. Currently, the researchers are working on a smaller model, and later on a full-sized 3D printer.

If the device proves itself in remote locations on Earth, the first experiments on the Moon are planned. It should be ready by the next Moon mission: "We want to be prepared by then," announces Uygun. "So we can say: It works, it's stable, it shields itself."