Singapore-based 3D printing service provider Creatz3D has released an innovative ultra-light satellite launch container.
Designed with partners Qosmosys and NuSpace, the unique building was designed to house 50 anodized gold artworks that were later launched into orbit by SpaceX to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Pioneer 10 probe. Using 3D printing, the company found that they managed to reduce the mass of the satellite attachment by more than 50%, as well as significantly reduce costs and lead times.
“The original proposed design was [made] out of sheet metal,” explains NuSpace CEO and co-founder Ng Zhen Ning. “[It] can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $5,000, and machine-made parts take at least three weeks to make, while 3D-printed parts take just two to three days.”
At first glance, it appears that Creatz3D offers similar products to other Singaporean resellers and 3D printing service providers such as ZELTA 3D or 3D Print Singapore. The company sells a variety of popular resin, metal, and ceramic 3D printers, as well as 3D printing software packages and post-processing systems, and offers customized services for customers with demanding use cases.
Since its founding in 2012, Creatz3D has collaborated with over 150 commercial partners and research institutions. This gave the company extensive experience in industrial-scale 3D printing projects, and the knowledge used last year helped Qosmosys develop a NASA tribute that can survive in the cold vacuum of space.
Project Godspeed, launched by orbital launch company Qosmosys, is dedicated to the launch of Pioneer 10, NASA’s first mission to Jupiter in 1972. However, while the decision was made to fill the satellite’s test container with Pioneer launch art, it was not initially clear how best to achieve this.
Traditionally, CNC machining or sheet metal forming was used to create the aluminum body, but the company found this inefficient given that duplicating such parts required folding and sawing. Another consideration is “venting”, where the pressure of working in space causes the mechanism to release gas that can become trapped and damage nearby components.
To address these issues, Qosmosys partnered with Creatz3D and NuSpace to develop an enclosure using Antero 800NA, a Stratasys material with high chemical resistance and low outgassing properties. The finished test container should be small enough to fit into the Zeus-1 satellite holder. To make sure this is possible, Creatz3D said it adjusted the wall thickness of the NuSpace-provided CAD model to produce parts that “look like gloved hands.”
At 362 grams, it is also considered significantly lighter than 800 grams if it were traditionally made from 6061 aluminum. Overall, NASA says it costs $10,000 a pound to launch a payload, and the team says their approach can help make Zeus-1 more cost-effective in other areas.
Zeus 1 lifts off on December 18, 2022 at the SpaceX car park in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Today, aerospace 3D printing has reached such an advanced stage that the technology is used not only in the manufacture of satellite components, but also in the creation of the vehicles themselves. In July 2022, it was announced that 3D Systems had signed a contract with Fleet Space to supply 3D printed RF patch antennas for its Alpha satellite.
Boeing also introduced a new high-performance 3D printing machine for small satellites last year. The complex, which will be in operation by the end of 2022, is said to allow the deployment of technology to accelerate the production of satellites and create entire space buses.
Alba Orbital’s 3D-printed PocketQube launchers, while not strictly speaking satellites themselves, are commonly used to launch such devices into orbit. Alba Orbital’s low-cost AlbaPod Deployment Module, made entirely of CRP Technology’s Windform XT 2.0 composite material, will be used to launch multiple microsatellites throughout 2022.
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The image shows the NuSpace team and the final 3D skin of the satellite. Photo via Creatz3D.
Paul graduated from the Faculty of History and Journalism and is passionate about learning the latest news about technology.
Post time: Mar-01-2023