3D-Printed Space Fabric

May-03-17 A new 3D-printed space fabric could point to an affordable way to manufacture space-age materials.

The prototype material was made using additive manufacturing to build the structure layer by layer. According to lead researchers Polit Casillas, the method is like ‘4-D’ printing, because the team can dictate both the shape and function of the fabric. Since different functions can be added to the material at various printing stages, the process is less expensive than current methods, and opens the door to a wide variety of functional materials.

More Info about this Invention:

[NEWATLAS.COM]
[JPL.NASA.GOV]

---