Made In Space Inc., Moffett Field, Calif., announces that NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate has awarded the company a contract to demonstrate its autonomous robotic manufacturing and assembly platform, Archinaut, on a flight mission. The contract award marks the second phase of the NASA-funded Archinaut technology development program that was initially awarded in 2016.
This flight demonstration contract award follows a successful ground-based testing campaign of Archinaut’s core additive manufacturing and robotic technologies, qualifying the Archinaut platform for spaceflight.
“Autonomous, robotic manufacturing and assembly will reshape the landscape of space exploration and space infrastructure and we are taking a monumental step towards that future,” says Andrew Rush, MIS president and CEO. “Through our partnership with NASA, we will build a space-optimized asset on-orbit, for the first time, that will prove the efficacy of this technology, reduce the risk posture, and manifest new opportunities for in space manufacturing.”
The objective of Archinaut’s flight demonstration mission, dubbed Archinaut One, is to construct two 10-meter solar arrays, on orbit, to power an ESPA-class satellite. Once on orbit, Archinaut One will employ its extended-structure additive manufacturing capabilities and advanced robotics to manufacture and assemble the satellite’s power system. The Archinaut-built solar arrays will yield nearly five times the power currently available to ESPA-class satellites.
In support of Archinaut’s flight demo mission, MIS will continue its partnership with Northrop Grumman while involving other companies and universities to successfully demonstrate this transformational technology. Northrop Grumman supported Archinaut development during phase I of the program.
