Engineering topics

Dunn, Jason

Publications and source records attributed to Dunn, Jason.

4 records

NASA NTRS2018

FY17 Report Summaries of Five Completed Center Innovation Fund (CIF) Projects for the Highlights/Abstract Section of the FY 2018 CIF Annual Report

The Center Innovation Fund Annual Report for FY18 is an annual report for Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Leadership, STMD Principle Technologists, and Center Innovation Fund Management. Attached is the Highlights/Abstract section of this annual report, which is the only section to be shared outside of NASA. Contributors were asked not to include any SBU information for these report summaries.

Sorbent Fiber Materials↗

NASA NTRS2017

Project RAMA: Reconstructing Asteroids Into Mechanical Automata

Many interesting ideas have been conceived for building space-based infrastructure in cislunar space. From O'Neill's space colonies, to solar power satellite farms, and even prospecting retrieved near earth asteroids. In all the scenarios, one thing remained fixed - the need for space resources at the outpost. To satisfy this need, O'Neill suggested an electromagnetic railgun to deliver resources from the lunar surface, while NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission called for a solar electric tug to deliver asteroid materials from interplanetary space. At Made In Space, we propose an entirely new concept. One which is scalable, cost effective, and ensures that the abundant material wealth of the inner solar system becomes readily available to humankind in a nearly automated fashion. We propose the RAMA architecture, which turns asteroids into self-contained spacecraft capable of moving themselves back to cislunar space. The RAMA architecture is just as capable of transporting conventional-sized asteroids on the 10-meter length scale as transporting asteroids 100 meters or larger, making it the most versatile asteroid retrieval architecture in terms of retrieved-mass capability. This report describes the results of the Phase I study funded by the NASA NIAC program for Made In Space to establish the concept feasibility of using space manufacturing to convert asteroids into autonomous, mechanical spacecraft. Project RAMA, Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical Automata, is designed to leverage the future advances of additive manufacturing (AM), in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and in-situ manufacturing (ISM) to realize enormous efficiencies in repeated asteroid redirect missions. A team of engineers at Made In Space performed the study work with consultation from the asteroid mining industry, academia, and NASA. Previous studies for asteroid retrieval have been constrained to studying only asteroids that are both large enough to be discovered, and small enough to be captured and transported using Earth-launched propulsion technology. Project RAMA is not forced into this constraint. The mission concept studied involved transporting a much larger approximately 50-meter asteroid to cislunar space. Demonstration of transport of a 50-meter-class asteroid has several ground-breaking advantages. First, the returned material is of an industrial, rather than just scientific, quantity (greater than 10,000 tonnes versus approximately10s of tonnes). Second, the "useless" material in the asteroid is gathered and expended as part of the asteroid's propulsion system, allowing the returned asteroid to be considerably "purer" than a conventional asteroid retrieval mission. Third, the infrastructure used to convert and return the asteroid is reusable, and capable of continually returning asteroids to cislunar space.

asteroids↗

NASA NTRS2014

3D Printing In Zero-G ISS Technology Demonstration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a long term strategy to fabricate components and equipment on‐demand for manned missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. To support this strategy, NASA and Made in Space, Inc. are developing the 3D Printing In Zero‐G payload as a Technology Demonstration for the International Space Station (ISS). The 3D Printing In Zero‐G experiment ('3D Print') will be the first machine to perform 3D printing in space. The greater the distance from Earth and the longer the mission duration, the more difficult resupply becomes; this requires a change from the current spares, maintenance, repair, and hardware design model that has been used on the International Space Station (ISS) up until now. Given the extension of the ISS Program, which will inevitably result in replacement parts being required, the ISS is an ideal platform to begin changing the current model for resupply and repair to one that is more suitable for all exploration missions. 3D Printing, more formally known as Additive Manufacturing, is the method of building parts/objects/tools layer‐by‐layer. The 3D Print experiment will use extrusion‐based additive manufacturing, which involves building an object out of plastic deposited by a wire‐feed via an extruder head. Parts can be printed from data files loaded on the device at launch, as well as additional files uplinked to the device while on‐orbit. The plastic extrusion additive manufacturing process is a low‐energy, low‐mass solution to many common needs on board the ISS. The 3D Print payload will serve as the ideal first step to proving that process in space. It is unreasonable to expect NASA to launch large blocks of material from which parts or tools can be traditionally machined, and even more unreasonable to fly up multiple drill bits that would be required to machine parts from aerospace‐grade materials such as titanium 6‐4 alloy and Inconel. The technology to produce parts on demand, in space, offers unique design options that are not possible through traditional manufacturing methods while offering cost-effective, high‐precision, low‐unit on‐demand manufacturing. Thus, Additive Manufacturing capabilities are the foundation of an advanced manufacturing in space roadmap. The 3D Printing In Zero‐G experiment will demonstrate the capability of utilizing Additive Manufacturing technology in space. This will serve as the enabling first step to realizing an additive manufacturing, print‐on‐demand "machine shop" for long‐duration missions and sustaining human exploration of other planets, where there is extremely limited ability and availability of Earth‐based logistics support. Simply put, Additive Manufacturing in space is a critical enabling technology for NASA. It will provide the capability to produce hardware on‐demand, directly lowering cost and decreasing risk by having the exact part or tool needed in the time it takes to print. This capability will also provide the much‐needed solution to the cost, volume, and up‐mass constraints that prohibit launching everything needed for long‐duration or long‐distance missions from Earth, including spare parts and replacement systems. A successful mission for the 3D Printing In Zero‐G payload is the first step to demonstrate the capability of printing on orbit. The data gathered and lessons learned from this demonstration will be applied to the next generation of additive manufacturing technology on orbit. It is expected that Additive Manufacturing technology will quickly become a critical part of any mission's infrastructure.

Werkheiser, Niki↗

NASA NTRS2013

3D Printing in Zero-G ISS Technology Demonstration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a long term strategy to fabricate components and equipment on-demand for manned missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. To support this strategy, NASA's Marshall Space Fligth Center (MSFC) and Made in Space, Inc. are developing the 3D Printing In Zero-G payload as a Technology Demonstration for the International Space Station (ISS). The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment ('3D Print') will be the frst machine to perform 3D printing in space.

Werkheiser, Niki↗