A 3D printer used aboard the ISS produces the first ceramic part made in space

This 3D-printed ceramic blisk is the first ceramic product made in space. Images: Red Wire

Red Wire Technology, a manufacturer of mission-critical components for next-generation space travel, announced that its Ceramic Manufacturing Module (CMM) aboard the International Space Station 3D-printed the first ceramic component made in space.

The CMM, operating autonomously, used stereolithography (SLA) technology and preceramic resins to manufacture the single-piece ceramic turbine blisk on orbit, along with a series of material-test coupons. Developed by Made In Space, a company Red Wire acquired in June 2020, the CMM is the first SLA printer to operate on orbit.

The successful printing of the test samples in space is an important step toward demonstrating the proof-of-potential for the CMM to produce ceramic parts that exceed the quality of turbine components made on Earth, according to the company. The blisk and test coupons will be stowed aboard the SpaceX Dragon CRS-21 spacecraft and returned to Earth for analysis.

“This is an exciting milestone for space-enabled manufacturing and signals the potential for new markets that could spur commercial activity in low-Earth orbit,” said Tom Campbell, president of Made In Space. He added that such efforts “could yield sustainable demand from terrestrial markets and [foster] capabilities that will allow humanity to sustainably live and work in space.”

The aim of building the CMM was to see if manufacturing ceramic parts in microgravity would yield parts that exhibit better performance characteristics, including higher strength and lower residual stresses. For high-performance applications such as turbines, nuclear plants, and internal combustion engines, even small improvements can extend service life by years or decade.

The CMM was developed in partnership with the ISS Research Integration Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. It is one of three ISS pilot payloads developed through this partnership that aims to catalyze and scale demand for commercial capabilities in low-Earth orbit by producing high-value products for terrestrial use.

The material for this report was drawn from information posted to the Red Wire Technology and Made In Space websites.