Entertainment

3D Printing in Microgravity: WVU’s Breakthroughs for Space Exploration

A recent study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces investigates the potential for using 3D printing in weightlessness, also known as microgravity, with titania foam. This study was conducted by a team of researchers in the Microgravity Research Team at West Virginia University (WVU) and holds the potential for scientists and astronauts to better understand how they can produce vital components on long-term space missions to the Moon and even Mars.

Study co-authors, Renee Garneau, Trenton Morris and Ronan Butts, who are also WVU engineering students and Microgravity Research Team (MRT) members, seen testing a 3D printer the MRT lab, which is designed to operate in microgravity like the International Space Station, the Moon, or Mars. (Credit: WVU Photo/Brian Persinger)

“A spacecraft can’t carry infinite resources, so you have to maintain and recycle what you have and 3D printing enables that,” said Jacob Cordonier, who is a mechanical and aerospace engineering PhD student at the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and lead author of the study. “You can print only what you need, reducing waste. Our study looked at whether a 3D-printed titanium dioxide foam could protect against ultraviolet radiation in outer space and purify water.”

The Microgravity Research Team is led by Dr. Konstantinos Sierros, who is an associate professor and associate chair for research in WVU’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. This research with titania foam began in 2016 with flights on a Boeing 727 where students used the 20 seconds of weightlessness during the parabolic flight to print lines of foam on glass slides but has since transitioned into a laboratory setting at WVU.

Through this, the team has demonstrated that such 3D-printed objects can be used to both purify water and protect astronauts and equipment from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light, since both the Moon and Mars lack Earth’s protective ozone layer and magnetic field that shields us from such harmful, space-based phenomena. The goal is to provide a cheap and easy method to help future astronauts on long-term missions.

Image of the custom 3D printer for microgravity experiments developed by the Microgravity Research Team at WVU. The printer operates by spraying foam out of the nozzle (right) onto substrates housed in the sample holder (left). (Credit: WVU Photo/Brian Persinger)

“Transporting even a kilogram of material in space is expensive and storage is limited, so we’re looking into what is called ‘in-situ resource utilization,’” said Dr. Sierros, who is also a co-author on the study. “We know the moon contains deposits of minerals very similar to the titanium dioxide used to make our foam, so the idea is you don’t have to transport equipment from here to space because we can mine those resources on the moon and print the equipment that’s necessary for a mission.”

In-situ resource utilization, also known as ISRU, is the practice of using available resources to manufacture additional resources that are vital to mission success on long-term space missions. Examples of using ISRU on the Moon include using water ice for oxygen and fuel or the lunar regolith to make bricks. For Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover recently demonstrated how carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere can be used to make oxygen.

“Our approach can help extend space exploration, allowing astronauts to use resources they already have available to them without necessitating a resupply mission,” said Renee Garneau, who is a WVU undergraduate engineering student and a co-author on the study. Garneau says she envisions the team’s 3D printer conducting its work on a six-month stay on the International Space Station.

Study co-author, WVU undergraduate student, and MRT team member, Renee Garneau, seen working with the 3D printer in the MRT lab. (Credit: WVU Photo/Brian Persinger)

What new discoveries will researchers make about 3D printing in microgravity, and how will this technology help future astronauts on long-term space missions in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!

As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!

mgo

Related Posts

‘Goonies’ Sequel ‘Curse of One-Eyed Willy’ Is Releasing in Theaters in Summer 2026?

The 1985 classic film “The Goonies” was a hot topic of discussion on social media in early 2024, with users sharing news of a sequel title and poster….

QG Part 1 – (Hindi) Official Trailer | Vivek Kumar Kannan | Sunny Leone | Jackie Shroff | Priyamani

QG Part 1 – (Hindi) Official Trailer | Vivek Kumar Kannan | Sunny Leone | Jackie Shroff | Priyamani The plot centers around a mysterious protagonist who embarks…

Aranmanai 5 – Official Trailer | Sundar.C | Vijay sethupathi | Yogi babu | Hiphop Tamizha

“Aranmanai 5” is a cinematic masterpiece that opens up a world of mystery and suspense with its distinctive blend of supernatural and eerie elements. The story unfolds in…

CHUCKY vs M3GAN: Blumhouse Teases Epic Showdown in 2024

Blumhouse Productions has just released the highly anticipated teaser trailer for their upcoming 2024 horror crossover, CHUCKY vs M3GAN. The film brings together two of the most iconic…

The Boy 3: The Curse Continues – Official Trailer Released

The chilling new installment of The Boy franchise, titled The Boy 3: The Curse Continues, has finally unveiled its official trailer for 2024, and it promises to bring…

WINTER CHAINSAW MASSACRE | Teaser Trailer 2025 | Netflix

𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑓𝑙𝑖𝑥 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑤 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑒 (2025), 𝑎 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑐𝑦 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒. 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟-𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *