Nichols Martin
Made in Space has landed a NASA contract to continue developing a new machine that would manufacture products using a variety of base materials in space, Space.com reported Tuesday.
The Vulcan manufacturing system is being designed to produce items out of various feedstock materials such as metal, in contrast to the International Space Station‘s two existing manufacturing machines that are restricted to using polymer.
A company representative stated that the new machine will work with a selection of over 30 materials such as titanium, aluminum and plastic composites.
The contract was issued as a phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research award and follows the previous phase 1 contract awarded to the company in 2017.
Made in Space developed the two 3D printers being used onboard the ISS.
