[SpaceProgram] Article: SpiderFab: Process for On-Orbit Construction of Kilometer-Scale Apertures

Matt Johnson railmeat at gmail.com
Fri Sep 28 04:07:21 CEST 2012


My reading is that the goal of SpiderFab is to remove the volume
constraints that current rockets have. Thing manufactured in space
would not have to fit into the fairing of a rocket. Of course there
would still be the same costs and limitation to lofting mass that
exist now.

Of course you are right in-situ resource utilization is necessary for
any meaningful civilization in space. The SpiderFab techniques could
be useful once the materials are extracted in space.

--
Matt Johnson



On Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 5:09 PM, Jerry Isdale <jerry at mauimakers.com> wrote:
> The first problem I have with SpiderFab is that they start off planning to
> loft the raw materials for printing from the bottom of this big gravity
> well.
> That might be ok for the first few bootstrap launches, but we really really
> need to use off-planet resources to build the off-planet structures.
>
> Otherwise the idea of printing the structures is great.
> Zero (or micro) Gravity does make it harder to control the materials.
> Even squeezing out material in an extrusion process would induce motions.
> Spreading out layers of powder? ha.
>
> Jerry Isdale
> http://MauiMakers.com
> http://www.mauimakers.com/blog/thursday-public-meeting/
>
> On Sep 27, 2012, at 1:50 PM, cole santos wrote:
>
> This is amzaing. Replicating this in even rudementry ways would be a great
> gambit project.
>
> You could use this to make a framework for a oneill habitat then drape with
> flexible silicone heaters and pump it full of diborane and nickel carbonyl
> until the cvd process builds up enough wall to allow pressurization.
>
> On Sep 27, 2012 1:21 PM, "Alex" <alexcg at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> In orbit 3D printing concept. Pretty awesome. Reduces costs, increases
>> scale of what we put up there
>>
>> SpiderFab: Process for On-Orbit Construction of Kilometer-Scale Apertures
>>
>> http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/early_stage_innovation/niac/2012_phase_I_fellows_hoyt_spiderfab.html
>
>
>
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