Comprehensive resource covering all in-space manufacturing and planetary resource exploration endeavors. The space economy is developing quickly, and pivotal events have brought us to a strong inflection point. This unique book includes fundamental and ground-breaking innovations in the field and is meant to quickly get readers up to speed on many different facets of space and planetary resource exploration, such as: Space health & medicine Space biology & space farming Space chemistry & space mining Space construction & advanced materials production Space policy, law & economics Presenting a snapshot of the expanding space economy and manufacturing applications in low-Earth orbit, along with resource utilization capabilities in development for Moon and Mars missions, this an indispensable source for all researchers and commercial companies working on space and planetary resource exploration.

This book produces convincing evidence that exploiting the potential of space could help solve many environmental and social issues affecting our planet, such as pollution, overcrowding, resource depletion and conflicts, economic inequality, social unrest, economic instability and unemployment. It also touches on the legal problems that will be encountered with the implementation of the new technologies and new laws that will need to be enacted and new organizations that will need to be formed to deal with these changes. This proposition for a space economy is not science fiction, but well within the remit of current or under development technologies. Numerous technologies are described and put together to form a coherent and feasible road map that, if implemented, could lead humankind towards a brighter future.

Additive manufacturing has the potential to positively affect human spaceflight operations by enabling the in-orbit manufacture of replacement parts and tools, which could reduce existing logistics requirements for the International Space Station and future long-duration human space missions. The benefits of in-space additive manufacturing for robotic spacecraft are far less clear, although this rapidly advancing technology can also potentially enable space-based construction of large structures and, perhaps someday, substantially in the future, entire spacecraft. Additive manufacturing can also help to reimagine a new space architecture that is not constrained by the design and manufacturing confines of gravity, current manufacturing processes, and launch-related structural stresses. The specific benefits and potential scope of additive manufacturing remain undetermined. The realities of what can be accomplished today, using this technology on the ground, demonstrate the substantial gaps between the vision for additive manufacturing in space and the limitations of the technology and the progress that has to be made to develop it for space use. 3D Printing in Space evaluates the prospects of in-space additive manufacturing. This report examines the various technologies available and currently in development, and considers the possible impacts for crewed space operations and robotic spacecraft operations. Ground-based additive manufacturing is being rapidly developed by industry, and 3D Printing in Space discusses government-industry investments in technology development. According to this report, the International Space Station provides an excellent opportunity for both civilian and military research on additive manufacturing technology. Additive manufacturing presents potential opportunities, both as a tool in a broad toolkit of options for space-based activities and as a potential paradigm-changing approach to designing hardware for in-space activities. This report makes recommendations for future research, suggests objectives for an additive manufacturing roadmap, and envisions opportunities for cooperation and joint development.

CONTENTS PREFACE LIST OF PARTICIPANTS RESEARCH NEEDS FOR REGENERATIVE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEMS 1. Systems Engineering Overview for Regenerative Life-Support Systems Applicable to Space Habitats Jack Spurlock and Michael Modell 2. Research Planning Criteria for Regenerative Life-Support Systems Applicable to Space Habitats Jack Spurlock, William Cooper, Paul Deal, Annita Harlan, Marcus Karel, Michael Modell, Paul Moe, John Phillips, David Putnam, Philip Quattrone, C. David Raper, Jr., Elliot Swan, Frieda Taub, Judith Thomas, Christine Wilson, and Ben Zeitman HABITAT DESIGN 1. Effect of Environmental Parameters on Habitat Structural Weight and Cost Edward Bock, Fred Lambrou, Jr., and Michael Simon 2. Habitat and Logistic Support Requirements for the Initiation of a Space Manufacturing Enterprise J. Peter Vajk, Joseph H. Engel, and John A. Shettler DYNAMICS AND DESIGN OF ELECTROMAGNETIC MASS DRIVERS 1. Mass Drivers I: Electrical Design William H. Arnold, Stuart Bowen, Kevin Fine, David Kaplan, Margaret Kolm, Henry Kolm, Johathan Newman, Gerard K. O'Neill, and William R. Snow 2. Mass Drivers II: Structural Dynamics William H. Arnold, Stuart Bowen, Kevin Fine, David Kaplan, Margaret Kolm, Henry Kolm, Jonathan Newman, Gerard K. O'Neill, and William R. Snow 3. Mass Drivers III: Engineering William H. Arnold, Stuart Bowen, Steve Cohen, David Kaplan, Kevin Fine, Margaret Kolm, Henry Kolm, Jonathan Newman, Gerard K. O'Neill, and William R. Snow ASTEROIDS AS RESOURCES FOR SPACE MANUFACTURING 1. Round-Trip Missions to Low-Delta-V Asteroids and Implications for Material Retrieval David F. Bender, R. Scott Dunbar, and David J. Ross 2. Retrieval of Asteroidal Materials Brian O'Leary, Michael J. Gaffey, David J. Ross, and Robert Salkeld 3. An Assessment of Near-Earth Asteroid Resources Michael J. Gaffey, Eleanor F. Helin, and Brian O'Leary PROCESSING OF NONTERRESTRIAL MATERIALS 1. The Initial Lunar Supply Base David R. Criswell 2. Extraterrestrial Fiberglass Production Using Solar Energy Darwin Ho and Leon E. Sobon 3. Lunar Building Materials-Some Considerations on the Use of Inorganic Polymers Stuart M. Lee 4. A Geologic Assessment of Potential Lunar Ores David S. McKay and Richard J. Williams 5. Extraction Processes for the Production of Aluminum, Titanium, Iron, Magnesium, and Oxygen and Nonterrestrial Sources D. Bhogeswara Rao, U. V. Choudary, T. E. Erstfeld, R. J. Williams, and Y. A. Chang 6. Mining and Beneficiation of Lunar Ores Richard J. Williams, David S. McKay, David Giles, and Theodore E. Bunch

This book presents selected topics on nanotechnological applications in the strategic sector of space. It showcases some current activities and multidisciplinary approaches that have given an unprecedented control of matter at the nanoscale and will enable it to withstand the unique space environment. It focuses on the outstanding topic of dual-use nanotechnologies, illustrating the mutual benefits of key enabling materials that can be used successfully both on earth and in space. It highlights the importance of space as a strategic sector in the global economy, with ever-increasing related businesses worldwide. In this light, it dedicates a chapter to the analysis of current and future markets for space-related nanotechnological products and applications.