Northrop Grumman to Demonstrate Robotic Manufacturing in Space
Made In Space (MIS) has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a subcontract to support NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) demonstration of the autonomous robotic manufacturing and assembly platform, Archinaut, on a flight mission. The flight demonstration con-tract award marks the second phase of the NASA-funded Archinaut technology development program which was initially awarded in 2016.
“Demonstrating additive manufacturing in space will open up new doors in the design and construction of space structures that to date have been limited by the volume of a launch vehicle,” said Richard Stapp, vice president, resiliency and rapid prototyping, Northrop Grumman. “Effectively building structures in space is one of the next big steps in our continuous journey of space exploration.”