Description: Over the past five decades, both the United States and NASA have had a long-term vision of sending pioneering human explorers beyond Earth orbit, with a goal of the sustained exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond. Now, bold steps are being taken to develop facilities, technologies and missions to take humans beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in nearly 50 years. The supply-chain dynamics of space exploration require the self-sustainable point-of-need manufacturing of products. The ability to manufacture replacement parts, and the capability to design and manufacture next generation parts to address emergent needs, will be the hallmark of the next generation space program. No longer will spare Orbital Replacement Units or ORU’s, be stockpiled onboard spacecraft or at NASA facilities. The financial cost to launch replacement parts to the Gateway or the Lunar surface, let alone to Mars, would scuttle serious plans to sustain a long-term research base or colony. Leadership at the highest levels at NASA, Congress and in the Executive branch agree that the ability to make replacement electronics and high-strength aerospace-grade metal parts in space as needed is a must-have enabling technology. In many ways, NASA is reclaiming the country’s pioneering heritage: carry only what you absolutely need, if it breaks – replace it and adapt to a changing environment with customized manufacturing capabilities. A true multi-media hybrid manufacturing center, the SIMPLE STEPS to FabLab system will be capable of the on-demand manufacture of electronics and high-strength aerospace-grade metals. It will be an essential resource for living and working in low Earth orbit and cis-lunar (and lunar surface) space – and for more-confidently extending humanity much further into the cosmos.

Benefits: Sustainable, long-duration human spaceflight missions require on-demand manufacturing capabilities that will provide solutions for fabrication and repair of components, electronics, consumables, tools, and structures. The ability to produce high strength metal parts and electronic components on-demand during missions has the potential to significantly reduce mission logistics mass, increase reliability, mitigate risk, and enable novel capabilities by taking advantage of the unique and unforeseen opportunities created by in-space manufacturing.

Every long-duration spaceflight mission, irrespective of its destination and its managing organization, will be safer with Techshot in-space metal and electronics manufacturing resources onboard. In November 2020, Techshot signed a four-year extension of its formal relationship with Axiom Space to support research and manufacturing aboard the company’s commercial space station module.