Stratasys to test 3D-printed material performance on the moon

Stratasys, a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions, announced that it will provide 3D-printed materials for an upcoming lunar mission to test their performance on the surface of the moon. Three materials will be the focus of two different experiments led by Northrop Grumman Corporation.

The experiments are part of Aegis Aerospace’s first Space Science & Technology Evaluation Facility mission (SSTEF-1). SSTEF is a commercial space testing service to provide R&D services on the lunar surface. The project focuses on technology development for space infrastructure and capabilities for the moon and near-earth space.

In this moon mission, Stratasys will provide 3D-printed samples that will be brought to the lunar surface by an unmanned lander in a 3D-printed carrier structure from Stratasys’ ULTEM 9085 thermoplastic, which is a material also commonly used in commercial aircraft interiors.

FDM Antero 840CN03 radiation experiment housing with red UTLEM 9085 “Remove Before Flight” cover to protect the test samples during transport and installation.

First experiment: Assessing a sample coupon part

The first experiment assesses the performance of a sample coupon part made with Stratasys’ Antero 800NA FDM filament filled with tungsten.

FDM Antero 800NA tungsten filled material (dark gray) and SL Somos PerFORM material (white).

Antero 800NA is a high-performance PEKK-based thermoplastic with excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and low outgassing characteristics.

Adding tungsten is intended to provide shielding against harmful radiation such as gamma rays or x-rays.

Second experiment: How 3D-printed materials perform in space?

The second passive experiment is designed to see how 3D-printed materials perform in space. It will include Antero 840CN03 FDM filament, which features ESD properties for use with electronics and was used on the Orion spacecraft.

It will also include a new ESD photopolymer manufactured by Henkel for use with Stratasys’ Origin One 3D printers and designed for high-heat environments. This experiment will subject coupon samples of the 3D-printed materials to moon dust, low pressure that can lead to outgassing, and the rapid temperature swings that result from virtually no atmosphere on the moon.