NASA Pursues Reintroduction of Laser-Based Welding in Space, Absent for Half a Century
As space agencies push for establishing human settlements on the Moon and Mars, astronauts need to be geared with tools for manufacturing structures in space. Rather than stuffing traditional toolkits for space travel, NASA is considering using laser beams to potentially transform in-space manufacturing, making prolonged stays on lunar soil more robust.
A group of engineers from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the Ohio State University are leading a prolonged analysis to explore the consequences of laser beam welding in a vacuum-laced low gravity environment, as NASA announced.
"For quite a while, we've relied on fasteners, rivets, or other mechanical methods to maintain structures assembled in space," Andrew O'Connor, NASA's project technical lead, mentioned in a statement. "However, we're beginning to comprehend that if we truly aim for robust bonds and for structures to stay together following assembly on the lunar soil, we may need to delve into in-space welding."
NASA is aiming to utilize laser beams for potential assembly of large structures and manufacture of new parts, as well as repair splits on the Moon. This would avoid the need to transport rivets or other materials to space via cargo missions. Yet, before flying laser welds in space, NASA must first unravel how welds behave in the microgravity environment. "Once you leave Earth, it becomes more challenging to test how the weld performs, so we are leveraging both experiments and computer modeling to predict welding in space while we are still grounded," O'Connor said.
The laser welding tests commenced in August when the team executed high-powered fiber laser beam welding in a simulated low gravity environment on a commercial aircraft. During the experiment, the aircraft executed parabolic flight maneuvers "that initiated in level flight, ascended by 8,000 feet in altitude, and plunged over at the peak of the parabolic arc," as per NASA. Across the span of the experiment, the team had approximately 20 seconds of reduced gravity to carry out the simulated in-space welding while floating in the weightless environment within the aircraft. A sensor network recorded data during the experiment, which will aid scientists in understanding how space affects laser beam welding.
"During the flights, we successfully completed 69 out of 70 welds under microgravity and lunar gravity conditions, concluding a fully successful flight campaign," Will McAuley, an Ohio State welding engineering student, mentioned in a statement.
NASA hasn't investigated welding in space for over 50 years, so it's safe to assert that the development of in-space manufacturing is long overdue. In 1973, the space agency performed bead-on-plate welding, brazing, and metal melting experiments onboard the Skylab orbital space station.
Now is an opportune moment, as NASA strives to construct structures on the Moon, with Mars in the distant horizon as a prospective goal. In-space welding holds potential to alleviate the space agency and its astronauts of considerable trouble, enabling construction and repairs in space as opposed to waiting for cargo to arrive from Earth.
Another in-space welding experiment, named the Nanoracks Astrobeat, was recently launched to the ISS aboard the 31st resupply mission. The experiment aims to experiment with cold welding in space as a technique for repairing spacecraft damaged by micrometeorites and space debris. According to NASA, conducting in-space repairs within the spacecraft could be safer and more efficient.
The advancement of space technology has led NASA to explore the possibility of using laser beams for the potential assembly of large structures and manufacturing of new parts on the Moon, which could eliminate the need for transporting materials from Earth via cargo missions. This shift towards in-space manufacturing and repair is crucial for future space missions, such as establishing human settlements on Mars.
Furthermore, NASA has launched an experiment called the 'Nanoracks Astrobeat' to the International Space Station to study cold welding as a technique for repairing spacecraft damaged by micrometeorites and space debris. This in-space repair method could significantly improve the safety and efficiency of future space missions.
