A method, apparatus, and system are provided for the printing and maturation of living tissue in an Earth-referenced reduced gravity environment such as that found on a spacecraft or on other celestial bodies. The printing may be three-dimensional structures. The printed structures may be manufactured from low viscosity biomaterials.

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for the printing and maturation of living tissue in an Earth-referenced reduced gravity environment such as that found on a spacecraft or on other celestial bodies. The printing may be three-dimensional structures. The printed structures may be manufactured from low viscosity biomaterials.

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for the printing and maturation of living tissue in an Earth-referenced reduced gravity environment such as that found on a spacecraft or on other celestial bodies. The printing may be three-dimensional structures. The printed structures may be manufactured from low viscosity biomaterials.

A system for manufacturing a space-based component while on orbit around the Earth. The system includes a spacecraft body and a solar collection device mounted thereto for collecting solar energy from the sun that is converted into heat. The system includes a manipulator device that moves a solar refinery to a position to collect space debris, where the manipulator then moves the solar refinery to location that uses the heat to melt constituent elements in the debris. The solar refinery also includes a collection element capable of separately collecting the heated elements. The system also includes a fabrication module that is operable to obtain solid, molten or vaporized elements from the collection element and fabricate the space-based component therefrom.

A system and method for manufacturing a space-based component in space. The method includes collecting and capturing space debris directly from and suspended in space, heating the collected space debris using solar radiation in a manner that separately and independently melts different constituent elements and compounds in the space debris, collecting the different constituent elements and compounds as they are being separately melted, storing the elements and compounds in a molten, solid or vapor form, and fabricating the space-based component using the stored elements and compounds.

Additive manufacturing (AM) exploits materials added layer by layer to form consecutive cross sections of desired shape. However, prior art AM suffers drawbacks in employable materials and final piece-part quality. Embodiments of the invention introduce two new classes of methods, solidification and trapping, to create complex and functional structures of macro/micro and nano sizes using configurable fields irrespective of whether they need a medium or not for transmission. Selective Spatial Solidification forms the piece-part directly within the selected build material whilst Selective Spatial Trapping injects the build material into the chamber and selectively directs it to accretion points in a continuous manner. In each a localized spatiotemporal concentrated field is established by configuring or maneuvering field emitters. These methods are suitable to create any 3D part with high mechanical properties and complex geometries. These layerless methods may be used discretely or in combination with conventional AM and non-AM manufacturing processes.

Additive manufacturing (AM) exploits materials added layer by layer to form consecutive cross sections of desired shape. However, prior art AM suffers drawbacks in employable materials and final piece-part quality. Embodiments of the invention introduce two new classes of methods, solidification and trapping, to create complex and functional structures of macro/micro and nano sizes using configurable fields irrespective of whether they need a medium or not for transmission. Selective Spatial Solidification forms the piece-part directly within the selected build material whilst Selective Spatial Trapping injects the build material into the chamber and selectively directs it to accretion points in a continuous manner. In each a localized spatiotemporal concentrated field is established by configuring or maneuvering field emitters. These methods are suitable to create any 3D part with high mechanical properties and complex geometries. These layerless methods may be used discretely or in combination with conventional AM and non-AM manufacturing processes.

Novel methods for the production of iron, silicon, and magnesium metal from extraterrestrial and terrestrial resources are described. The methods employ processing steps including metal oxide reduction using carbon monoxide, carbon, hydrogen, and methane. Methods to prepare, regenerate, and recycle reductants to minimize mining and purchase of fresh materials and to minimize carbon emissions are included.

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for the printing and maturation of living tissue in an Earth-referenced reduced gravity environment such as that found on a spacecraft or on other celestial bodies. The printing may be three-dimensional structures. The printed structures may be manufactured from low viscosity biomaterials.

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for the printing and maturation of living tissue in an Earth-referenced reduced gravity environment such as that found on a spacecraft or on other celestial bodies. The printing may be three-dimensional structures. The printed structures may be manufactured from low viscosity biomaterials.