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Momentus and Velo3D together developed a 3D-printed fuel tank, showing faster, lighter and more dependable spacecraft manufacturing for future space missions.
Momentus, a US commercial space business offering in-space transportation and infrastructure services has announced the development of a 3D-printed fuel tank for flight testing on its Vigoride-7 Orbital Service Vehicle. In partnership with Velo3D, the leading supplier of advanced metal 3D printing technology. The fuel tank is designed by Momentus and produced through metal additive manufacturing performed by Velo3D. This is an indicator of the application of 3D printing, which is utilized for the production of crucial parts of a spaceship. The normal production process takes time and has certain constraints on its designs.
"Testing an additively manufactured fuel tank on Vigoride-7 is a major achievement for Momentus and a testament to our partnership with Velo3D," John Rood, CEO of Momentus, said. "Additive manufacturing opens new possibilities for spaceship design and production, and this successful demo prepares the way for greater use in future missions."
Momentus plans on using this technology to become an approved supplier of space-rated fuel tanks, which are often expensive and slow to manufacture. According to Arun Jeldi, CEO of Velo3D, “the tank would be hard or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing and shows how advanced 3D printing offers both dependability and performance in space.”
Momentus aims to reduce costs, shorten development cycles, and strengthen spaceship resilience by incorporating the use of additive manufacturing into its supply chain. The Vigoride-7 mission shows the benefit of 3D-printed spacecraft components. Leading to a future in which in-space manufacturing might allow fully adaptable, repairable and sustainable spacecraft.
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