La rama de investigaci\u00f3n de tecnolog\u00eda emergente del Departamento de Defensa de EE UU invertir\u00e1 en nuevos materiales y procesos que podr\u00edan permitir la fabricaci\u00f3n en el espacio y en la superficie de la luna. Con ese fin, la Agencia de Proyectos de Investigaci\u00f3n Avanzada de Defensa est\u00e1 lanzando el Programa de Fabricaci\u00f3n Orbital y Lunar, Materiales y Dise\u00f1o de Eficiencia Masiva, o NOM4D.<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON \u2014 The Defense Department\u2019s emerging technology research arm will invest in new materials and processes that could enable manufacturing in space and on the moon\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n
To that end, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is launching the Novel Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials and Mass-efficient Design program, or NOM4D.<\/p>\n
\u201cNOM4D\u2019s vision is to develop foundational materials, processes and designs needed to realize in-space manufacturing of large, precise and resilient Defense Department systems,\u201d said Bill Carter, program manager in DARPA\u2019s Defense Sciences Office, in a press release.<\/p>\n
DARPA is launching the program in response to the natural limitations of rocket launches in placing larger structures and systems in orbit, the agency said. While the launch industry has expanded significantly in recent years, with dozens of new providers entering the fray, rocket launches are inherently limited \u2014 even the largest rockets have weight and volume restrictions. The solution? Place smaller pieces of a structure on orbit with multiple launches, and then assemble them in space. Or better yet, collect materials from the moon to build with.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will explore the unique advantages afforded by on-orbit manufacturing using advanced materials ferried from Earth,\u201d Carter said. \u201cLarge structures such as antennas and solar panels can be substantially more weight efficient, and potentially much more precise. We will also explore the unique features of in-situ resources obtained from the moon\u2019s surface as they apply to future defense missions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manufacturing in space could also enable more flexibility in the design of space systems. Today, most satellites are designed to be as compact as possible in order to be integrated with and launched on rockets. But by assembling systems in space, systems could be designed without some of those volume restrictions, allowing them to be more mass efficient.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking for proposers to come up with system designs that are so mass efficient that they can only be built off-earth, and with features that enable them to withstand maneuvers, eclipses, damage and thermal cycles typical of space and lunar environments,\u201d Carter said. \u201cGiven the constraints of ground test, launch and deployment, the traditional approach to designing space structures is not likely to result in dramatic improvements in mass efficiency. In order to take the next step, we\u2019ve got to go about materials, manufacturing and design in a completely new way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea of assembling systems and structures in space isn\u2019t new. Famously, the International Space System was assembled in space using a number of components individually launched into space.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople have been thinking about on-orbit manufacturing for some time, so we expect to demonstrate new materials and manufacturing technologies by the program\u2019s end,\u201d Carter added.<\/p>\n
With NOM4D, DARPA will work with participants over three 18-month phases to develop precise, mass efficient structures that could be used for on-orbit construction. Each phase will focus on one of three applications: large solar arrays, large radio frequency reflector antennas, and segmented infrared reflective optics.<\/p>\n
The agency will host\u00a0a proposers day webinar on Feb. 26<\/a>\u00a0and expects to release a broad agency announcement solicitation in February.<\/p>\n