Bremen brings 3D printers for the Moon and Mars – revolution in space!

A Bremen research team is developing innovative 3D printers that are designed for use in space. The goal of this project is to produce missing parts directly on site on the Moon or Mars. This could significantly reduce transport costs, which are currently around 100,000 euros per kilo to the Moon and several million euros to Mars. The team consists of three students, a research assistant and the logistics professor Yilmaz Uygun.

The planned 3D printer should be able to move like a crab and anchor itself on the respective celestial body. The energy is supplied via solar panels, while the printing material is initially transported into space in powder form. In the long term, work is being done on a solution to obtain materials directly from space, for example by extracting raw materials from asteroids. Transporting spare parts to the International Space Station (ISS) or other space stations is not only expensive, but also extremely complex.

Technological possibilities and developments

The 3D printer is capable of printing parts up to three meters in size as well as heavy tools. The device was originally developed for use in wind turbines. The team is currently working on a smaller model before constructing a full-size printer. The technology must withstand both extreme temperature fluctuations and weightlessness.

The research project has already attracted the attention of the aerospace industry. The team has founded a start-up and is active in the European Space Agency (ESA) space incubator. The first experiments with the 3D printer on the moon are already being planned and could be carried out on the next lunar missions buten and within reported. Further details on the developments also come from Chip.de and show the promising prospects of the technology.