Additive Manufacturing in Microgravity: Wire-DED and LPBF Experiments on ISS and MAPHEUS® as a Basis for Orbital Production Systems

Kurzfassung

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a key technology for future space missions, enabling flexible and resource-efficient production of structural and functional components directly in orbit. We systematically investigate the process physics and component behavior of AM under microgravity and develop technological foundations for space-ready manufacturing systems. We present results of Wire-Directed Energy Deposition (Wire-DED) and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) in space. We discuss these in comparison with ground reference experiments using different analysis techniques in the laboratory and at large-scale facilities. Wire-DED experiments are conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) using ESA’s Metal3D printer, and on the DLR’s suborbital sounding rocket MAPHEUS®, enabling the study of melt pool stability, droplet transfer, and solidification dynamics of 316L stainless steel under real microgravity conditions. In the LPBF process, Bulk Metallic Glasses were investigated on MAPHEUS, with a focus on microstructure development, which plays a critical role in governing glass formation and the mechanical properties of amorphous alloys. Overall, this contribution provides an integrated overview of experimental methodologies, technological challenges, and expected scientific insights into AM process behavior in microgravity, highlighting key differences from terrestrial reference processes.