Description: The future LEO/GEO commercial space economy depends upon manufacturing space habitat structures quickly, affordably, and reliably. Docking rings and berthing rings are challenging structural components for space habitats--all of which will be needed for the LEO economy. Previously these components have been machined from forgings with lead times of 12-36 months and at great cost and material waste. Recent work validates aluminum additive manufactured (AM) structures have 95% reduction in lead time and 63% reduction in cost compared to conventional manufacturing. Additionally, aluminum AM forging replacements for habitats are predicted to have similar benefits and could impact additional structural space components. Big Metal Additive is ready to transition AM spaceflight structures from TRL 4 to TRL 6 and produce them for NASA and the commercial space market. The company vision is a factory with many machines producing a wide variety of large metal products for commercial and government customers. BMA additionally has a technology roadmap to develop in-space or lunar manufacturing in the future. This proposed work is not a part certification project--this Tipping Point project is to mature and prove the readiness of materials, manufacturing processes, equipment, and facilities to meet NASA acceptance standards that prepares manufacturing of structural rings to be available for customers. This will be accomplished by refining technology, and aligning and documenting BMA business and manufacturing processes with NASA-STD-6030 and NASA-STD-6033. Verification will be performed through audit and approvals from NASA MSFC M&P Authorities. The final demonstration of readiness will be accomplished by (i) producing, testing, and validating full-scale, subsection elements of a structural ring to confirm TRL 5, and (ii) producing, testing, and validating full-scale structural rings to confirm TRL 6. These accomplishments will document and facilitate the acceptance of future structural rings for NASA and commercial space customers.

Benefits: The future LEO/GEO commercial space economy depends upon manufacturing space habitat structures quickly, affordably, and reliably. In the near term, the economy requires habitat structures produced for assembly and launch. Currently there is significant supply chain trouble for large aluminum space structures. Manufacturing alternatives such as AM must be instituted to mitigate the cost, lead time and material waste issues of existing options. To establish a LEO/GEO economy we must have a well-planned roadmap of technology transitions which begin with validation and maturation on Earth and are attached to the vision of future in-space or lunar manufacturing. For the long term, these manufacturing capabilities must be translatable to future in-space or lunar manufacturing. Metal AM is ready to provide terrestrial manufacturing solutions to produce large aluminum structural components that solve current supply issues and support the near-term growth of the commercial LEO/GEO economy. Wire-arc AM with metallic feedstock is considered a strong candidate for future in-space manufacturing, however, strategic risk reduction requires it first be implemented and proven terrestrially before it can be extended to in-space capabilities with confidence.