China completes metal 3D printing experiment in space

China has reported a successful mission to undertake 3D metal printing in space, following an experiment on a recent suborbital test flight.

As part of its in-orbit manufacturing research program, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) placed the payload on a spacecraft developed by CAS Space – a commercial space tourism operator.

The retrievable scientific payload was developed by the Institute of Mechanics under CAS’s auspices. It was launched on the Lihong-1 Y1, which completed its inaugural test flight from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The microgravity laser additive manufacturing equipment autonomously fabricated metal components once the Lihong-1 Y1 reached an altitude of approximately 120km.

“This success marks China’s transition from ‘ground-based research’ to a new phase of ‘space engineering verification’ in metal additive manufacturing technology,” stated CAS. “Our overall technical capabilities have reached world-leading levels.”

The achievement navigated numerous challenges that have so far made space AM advances extremely hard. Stable material transport and forming under microgravity, full-process closed-loop control, and high-reliability coordination between the payload and the launch vehicle were all overcome in the exercise, according to the CAS.

The voyage was part of a strategy by the Chinese government to significantly advance its space manufacturing technology, as it seeks to lay the foundations for rapid, further space infrastructure development.

The payload made a safe landing post-flight on January 12, after which a short statement was made by the Chinese state council information office. Since then, the Lihong-1 Y1’s deputy chief designer, Wang Yingcheng, has been reported as saying that the spacecraft will be developed for multiple reuse purposes. 

Extensive tests are now underway to add crew-life-support and high-reliability escape technologies, according to Wang.