Branch Technology developing 3D printed 50-meter lunar towers for NASA
Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, construction 3D printing company Branch Technology has been working with NASA since 2017, when it won the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge. Now, the company is continuing its collaboration with the space agency, working on a NASA Small Business Innovation Research project through which it is evaluating its ability to 3D print a 50-meter-tall tower on the moon to enhance solar power collection and communications.
At the center of this potential is Branch Technology’s Freeform 3D printing approach. Unlike many other construction 3D printing firms, which use extrusion systems to print layers of building material for solid structures, Branch’s approach uses a robotic extrusion system, known as C-Fab, to build three-dimensional large-scale lattice frameworks. These open-cell frameworks have the benefit of significantly reducing material usage relative to volume and enabling complex, freeform geometries.
Branch Technology’s AM process was recognized early on by NASA for its potential to build strong structures on the moon with great material efficiency as well as interior fittings for these habitats. It has also garnered interest here on Earth, particularly for making custom BranchClad panels for large-scale wall façades. (In this case, C-FAB is used to print the carbon fiber polymer lattice core of each panel, which is then filled foam insulation and milled, resulting in lower cost, faster installation time, and lower overall weight compared to precast concrete panels.) The technology has also been used to 3D print large-scale architectural installations that put the matrix aesthetic front and center.
In its ongoing work for NASA, Branch is investigating whether its C-Fab process can 3D print massive 50-meter-tall towers on the moon. The potential is there: the company’s technology is well suited to in-space building since it can reduce material usage by up to 95% compared to other construction AM processes, which significantly influences launch mass (and consequently cost). To date, it has already successfully shown the feasibility of the concept in the project’s Phase I. Now in Phase II, Branch is working on advancing material science and technical elements of the project.
As it explains: “This work focuses on the material science of using C-Fab and Freeform 3D printing techniques in a lunar environment, as well as demonstrating machine operability in vacuum to emulate lunar surface conditions here in the lab. Ultimately, the goal for this project is to have an operable machine prototype that could be used to produce large-scale infrastructure on the moon.”
As part of this second phase, Branch is conducting material research, as well as pursuing extrusion testing, environment-specific design studies, and structural demonstrations. If everything progresses successfully, the result could be the in-situ, fully automated construction of massive lunar truss towers that could be used for solar power capture as well as to improve communication signals on the moon. This project is in partnership with architecture firm Foster + Partners, which also played a key role in the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge. You can see their vision in the video below:
