In-space Manufacturing
Assembly Line
Edmontonian developing 3D printer that could be 'manufacturing plant of the moon'
Madison Feehan, CEO and founder of Space Copy, said she realized that 3D printing could substantially reduce the significant cost and logistic hurdles of sending astronauts back to the moon during her five years as a contract worker for NASA.
Space Copy is developing what we call in situ logistics and additive manufacturing technology. Now, that is a bunch of fancy words for 3D printing, and essentially, it is a materials processing and 3D printing device all in one. Consider it the manufacturing plant of the moon. Essentially, what we’re doing is we’re taking materials like lunar soil and we are breaking it down into a fine powder. Then, we are using that powder to 3D print different kinds of infrastructure, ranging from astronaut habitats to repair parts and tools to repair rovers and anything that you could think of when it comes to living in space long term.
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🖨️ Redwire BioFabrication Facility Successfully Prints First Human Knee Meniscus on ISS
Redwire Corporation announced that it has successfully 3D bioprinted the first human knee meniscus on orbit using its upgraded 3D BioFabrication Facility (BFF) on the International Space Station (ISS). This milestone opens the door to improved treatments for meniscal injuries, one of the most common injuries for U.S. Service Members.
The print returned to Earth onboard the SpaceX Crew-6 Mission for analysis following successful print operations in July. Before returning to Earth, the print was cultured for 14 days on the ISS in Redwire’s Advanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP). The print was conducted as part of the BFF-Meniscus-2 Investigation with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Center for Biotechnology (4D Bio3), a biomedical research center that explores and adapts promising biotechnologies for warfighter benefit. The investigation was conducted by NASA astronauts Frank Rubio, Warren “Woody” Hoburg, and Stephen Bowen, and UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi.