The European Space Agency (ESA) (www.esa.int/ESA) has opened an Advanced Manufacturing Facility near its base in Harwell, Oxfordshire, where it will explore the possibilities of 3-D printing and other advanced manufacturing techniques for space applications.

Andrew Barnes, the ESA engineer responsible for overseeing the new facility, said: “There’s a multitude of emerging technologies with apparent potential for producing stronger, lighter and cheaper spacecraft structures, but we have to be sure they are fully suitable for space and not just ‘show-stoppers’.

"Our new laboratory aims to assess candidate materials and manufacturing processes for space missions, pre-screening them early in their development cycle. The results obtained will help guide ESA and the wider space industry in deciding where to focus future technology investments.”

With access to a metal 3-D printer, a suite of powerful microscopes, an X-ray CT machine and a range of furnaces, the lab will give researchers the opportunity to perform advanced mechanical experiments, including tensile and micro-hardness testing.