New Study Shows Electronics Could Be Manufactured Directly in Space

• A team of researchers from Auburn University and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center has successfully demonstrated a new additive manufacturing (AM) process that could allow astronauts to manufacture electronic components...

A team of researchers from Auburn University and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center has successfully demonstrated a new additive manufacturing (AM) process that could allow astronauts to manufacture electronic components directly in space. Published in npj Advanced Manufacturing, the study showed that conductive silver and copper structures can be produced in microgravity using a dry, ink-free printing process. The researchers say the work could help make on-demand electronics manufacturing possible during future space missions. Astronauts have already used 3D printers in space to make tools and replacement parts. Electronics are a different challenge. Many of the methods being explored today rely on liquid materials, which can be difficult to work with in weightlessness and are not always