This is how replacement parts can be 3D printed on Mars

Manned missions to Mars will need spare parts, it makes a lot more sense to manufacture them there than to transport them from Earth

Transporting cargo through space is incredibly expensive. For example, it costs NASA’s space shuttle about $54,000 to put just one kilogram of payload into Earth orbit. Lunar habitats, for example, are expected to be built largely using moon rocks. The same is true on Mars, but beyond that, even unmanned probes may need to make spare parts, as it would make more sense than sending them from Earth.

The researchers of Washington State University School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering They found that mixing a small amount of crushed (simulated) Martian rock with a titanium alloy produces a very strong material that could be used in a 3D printing process one day on Mars to make tools or rocket parts.

The researchers made the pieces out of 5% and up to 100% Martian regolith, a black powdery substance that is intended to mimic the rocky, inorganic material found on the surface of the Red Planet. While the 5% Martian regolith pieces were very strong, the 100% regolith pieces were fragile and broke easily.

Still, even materials with a high Martian content would be useful for making coatings that protect equipment from rust or radiation damage, says Amit Bandyopadhyay, corresponding author of the study published in the International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology.

“In space, 3D printing is something that needs to happen if we want to think about a manned mission, because we can’t get everything from here,” says Bandyopadhyay. “If we forget something, we can’t go back and look for it,” he adds.

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Anything that can be done in space or on the planet would save weight and money, not to mention that if something breaks, astronauts would need a way to repair it on the spot. Bandyopadhyay first demonstrated the feasibility of this idea in 2011, when his team used 3D printing to make pieces of lunar regolith, simulated crushed moon rock, for NASA.

Since then, space agencies have embraced the technology, and the International Space Station has its own 3D printers to manufacture the materials needed on-site and for experiments.

For this study, the researchers used a powder-based 3D printer to mix simulated Martian rock powder with an alloy of titanium, a metal often used in space exploration for its strength and heat-resistant properties. A high-powered laser heated the materials to over 2,000°C.

Then the molten mixture of Martian regolith, ceramic and metal flowed onto a moving platform that allowed the researchers to create different sizes and shapes. After the material cooled, the researchers checked its strength and durability.

Ceramic material made from 100% Martian rock dust cracked when it cooled, but as Bandyopadhyay points out, it could still be a good coating for radiation shields, as cracks don’t matter in this context.

But just a little bit of Martian dust, the 5% regolith mixture, not only didn’t crack or bubble, it had better properties than titanium alloy alone, which meant it could be used to make smaller parts. .

REFERENCE

Martian regolith—Ti6Al4V composites via additive manufacturing

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