COSM Advanced Manufacturing Systems, which is based in Ipswich, Massachusetts (USA), has announced that it will begin working on final development and build of electron beam 3-D metal printing systems for a variety of future in-space, lunar, and Mars-based applications.

The work is funded by an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) contract from NASA to support the Artemis programme’s return to the Moon.

The technology to be used by COSM incorporates an electron beam to deposit metal from a spool of wire into a large complex part. Capitalising on decades of experience using charged particle beams systems for imaging and metrology in the semiconductor industry, the new system will automatically monitor and adjust the 3-D print process as it occurs.

Richard Comunale, the CEO and founder of COSM, said: “Producing large metal parts autonomously to verifiable specifications and quality in-space will be an enabling part of man’s permanent presence on the Moon and further missions to Mars.

This complex task is made possible by fundamental technology developed by COSM with support from NASA’s Langley Research Center. This next step in the technology development will result in the core system components validated for launch and operation in transit, on the Moon and Mars. This is an incredible opportunity and an honour for our team to play a role in NASA’s Artemis program.”

This work is a follow-on to that COSM completed with NASA Langley on their Electron Beam Free Form Fabrication (EBF3) programme, which uses focused electron beams to perform additive manufacturing of metal. Under NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), COSM was previously part of a team of companies in a public-private partnership to establish a Commercial Infrastructure for Robotic Assembly and Services (CIRAS) in space.

The CIRAS programme advanced key technologies that are the basis for this next step for in-orbit manufacturing and assembly of large space structures that will help the agency meet its goals for robotic and human exploration of the solar system.