About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Materials Research in Reduced Gravity
|
| Presentation Title |
Cosmic Maker: Advancing Multi-Material Additive Manufacturing in Microgravity; 3Dprinting of Silicon Carbide |
| Author(s) |
Seyed Amir Ghaffari, Paul Holt, Hamid Soorghali |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Seyed Amir Ghaffari |
| Abstract Scope |
Cosmic Maker is an autonomous, multi-material LCD-based 3D printing platform developed by Photocentric for microgravity manufacturing. With support from ESA and the Business in Space Growth Network (BSGN), Cosmic Maker I successfully demonstrated ceramic and polymer printing in a contra-rotational microgravity simulation. Cosmic Maker II advances this to a flight-ready system capable of fabricating silicon carbide (SiC), a material critical for structural, thermal, and radiation-resistant space components.
The platform leverages Photocentric’s patented near-daylight wavelength photopolymerisation, offering efficient, low-power curing and enhanced material compatibility. Parabolic flight testing is underway to validate paste rheology, print fidelity, and SiC performance in reduced gravity.
Cosmic Maker not only overcomes the constraints of microgravity—it exploits them for high-resolution, layer-free printing. As the UK’s first ceramic/SiC space printing system, it establishes a sovereign European pathway to in-situ manufacturing and microgravity-enabled materials research for future exploration missions. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Additive Manufacturing, Ceramics, Composites |