NASA has released a strategy for implementing in-space manufacturing capabilities in low Earth orbit to demonstrate the production of advanced materials and products in microgravity for terrestrial applications.
The agency said Tuesday it will implement a multi-phase award process for the In Space Production Applications initiative to demonstrate proof-of-concept, advance materials to high production quality and ensure that products are scalable for a commercial LEO destination.
InSPA Phase 1 will involve early proof-of-concept studies and basic flight hardware development and testing to evaluate products’ technology and manufacturing readiness levels. Demonstrations will occur during parabolic, orbital and sub-orbital flights on the International Space Station.
Phase 2 will enable design maturation and advanced flight hardware development to achieve a TRL of 8 and MRL of 7 to gain significant investor commitment for Phase 3.
The final phase will focus on achieving TRL and MRL of 9 by performing scaled flight hardware production on ISS or an alternative commercial LEO destination.
