Engineering topics

Cooper, Kenneth G.

Publications and source records attributed to Cooper, Kenneth G..

5 records

NASA NTRS2014

3D Printing in Zero-G ISS Technology Demonstration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a long term strategy to fabricate components and equipment on-demand for manned missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. To support this strategy, NASA and Made in Space, Inc. are developing the 3D Printing In Zero-G payload as a Technology Demonstration for the International Space Station. The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment will be the first machine to perform 3D printing in space. The greater the distance from Earth and the longer the mission duration, the more difficult resupply becomes; this requires a change from the current spares, maintenance, repair, and hardware design model that has been used on the International Space Station up until now. Given the extension of the ISS Program, which will inevitably result in replacement parts being required, the ISS is an ideal platform to begin changing the current model for resupply and repair to one that is more suitable for all exploration missions. 3D Printing, more formally known as Additive Manufacturing, is the method of building parts/ objects/tools layer-by-layer. The 3D Print experiment will use extrusion-based additive manufacturing, which involves building an object out of plastic deposited by a wire-feed via an extruder head. Parts can be printed from data files loaded on the device at launch, as well as additional files uplinked to the device while on-orbit. The plastic extrusion additive manufacturing process is a low-energy, low-mass solution to many common needs on board the ISS. The 3D Print payload will serve as the ideal first step to proving that process in space. It is unreasonable to expect NASA to launch large blocks of material from which parts or tools can be traditionally machined, and even more unreasonable to fly up specialized manufacturing hardware to perform the entire range of function traditionally machining requires. The technology to produce parts on demand, in space, offers unique design options that are not possible through traditional manufacturing methods while offering cost-effective, high-precision, low-unit on-demand manufacturing. Thus, Additive Manufacturing capabilities are the foundation of an advanced manufacturing in space roadmap.

Johnston, Mallory M.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Cases for Additive Manufacturing on the International Space Station

There are thousands of plastic or non-structural metal components on the International Space Station (ISS), any of which could require replacing sometime between resupply missions. While these may not be life critical, it can cause significant delays to flight projects that have to wait several weeks to months to receive a key part one that could have been designed and built on-board the ISS within a few hours. A plastic deposition additive manufacturing process is a low-energy, low-mass solution to many common needs on board the ISS.

Cooper, Kenneth G.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Layered Metals Fabrication Technology Development for Support of Lunar Exploration at NASA/MSFC

NASA's human exploration initiative poses great opportunity and risk for missions to the Moon and beyond. In support of these missions, engineers and scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center are developing technologies for ground-based and in-situ fabrication capabilities utilizing provisioned and locally-refined materials. Development efforts are pushing state-of-the art fabrication technologies to support habitat structure development, tools and mechanical part fabrication, as well as repair and replacement of ground support and space mission hardware such as life support items, launch vehicle components and crew exercise equipment. This paper addresses current fabrication technologies relative to meeting targeted capabilities, near term advancement goals, and process certification of fabrication methods.

Cooper, Kenneth G.↗

NASA NTRS1998

In-Space Rapid Manufacturing

In-space manufacturing objectives are: (1) Develop and demonstrate capability to directly fabricate components in space using rapid prototyping technology - ceramics (alumina, silicon nitride, zirconia), metallics (stainless, inconel, etc.), high strength/temperature plastics (PEEK). and ABS plastics (starting point). (2) Perform material science experiments on rapid prototyping candidate materials in microgravity.

Cooper, Kenneth G.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Rapid Prototyping Roadmapping

Roadmapping has long been thought of as a process for getting from point A to point B within a single discipline. Roadmapping for Rapid Prototyping has multiple paths of which we will diagram in this meeting. When you consider the dynamic change that the computer has made in both developing as well as manufacturing products, we could only assume that further electronic medium matched with mechanical inventions will continue. This industry roadmap is intended to point and lead us to the promised manufacturing land. We hope to reduce the inherent risk associated with technology development by providing a clear goal of mapping to a manufacturing process. The work of DoE in 1994 was excellent and began a journey that would benefit the decision makers and allow for choices that would be good investment decisions. While this work included government agencies, this map is broader and includes industry and academia input.

Cooper, Kenneth G.↗