MADE IN SPACE, INC. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150231826 | In-Situ Resource Preparation and Utilization Methods - Methods of collecting in-situ materials on a celestial body for return to Earth or another location and associated devices are described. These devices and methods facilitate collection of samples and creation of portions of the return spacecraft via an additive manufacturing device contained within the lander craft. The additive manufacturing device is configured to produce portions of the return spacecraft (e.g., sample return container, spacecraft structure, heat shield) and may also be configured to place samples within the spacecraft for return and analysis. | 08-20-2015 |
20150210408 | Spacecraft Having Electronic Components As Structural Members And Related Methods - A method is provided for partially or completely manufacturing a spacecraft in an extraterrestrial environment, thereby allowing the spacecraft to be transported from Earth in a form that is better able to withstand forces associated with a rocket launch and traversing Earth's atmosphere. Such a form may allow the spacecraft to be significantly smaller than it would need to be if it had to be in a completed form at the time of transportation. Two forms of spacecraft that may be built by such method are also disclosed. In an aspect, the disclosed devices may be configured to be manufactured, assembled, deployed, and utilized in a timely and efficient manner. | 07-30-2015 |
20150209978 | Recycling Materials In Various Environments Including Reduced Gravity Environments - Recycling devices for producing additive manufacturing filament from received materials including objects to be recycled, discarded objects, obsolete objects, and the like. A recycling device may include a material processing system an extrusion mechanism and a spooling assembly. The material processing system receives material, reduces the size of the received material via a material size reducer and actively pushes the material through at least a portion of the device. The extrusion mechanism produces filament from the material and the spooling assembly loads the filament onto a spool for later use. The spooling assembly may include detachable elements configured to interface with and supply filament to an additive manufacturing device. Depending on configuration, recycling devices may create filament from plastic, metal, in-situ material, or a combination thereof. | 07-30-2015 |
20150144284 | Metal Casting Methods in Microgravity and Other Environments - Apparatus and methods for creating cast metal objects in space and other environments. Molds are created using additive manufacturing and are injected with a castable metal having a melting point lower than a mold melting point. In some aspects, the additive manufacturing device and the metal casting unit are contained in the same unit. | 05-28-2015 |
20150112472 | Remote Operations of Additive Manufacturing Devices - Node-based remote operations of additive manufacturing device are disclosed. In an aspect, a system for operating a remote additive manufacturing device is disclosed. Each computing device is a node in a communications path and contains an instance of a command software program configured to receive and send a single set of commands, ensure the integrity of such commands and/or operate communicatively connected additive manufacturing devices. | 04-23-2015 |
20150110911 | Nanoparticle Filtering Environmental Control Units - Environmental control units are disclosed. In an aspect, an environmental control unit for use with additive manufacturing and other VOC and particle emitting processes are disclosed. In an aspect, an environmental control unit comprising one or more filters, an air handler, a temperature control device, one or more sensors and a control unit is disclosed. | 04-23-2015 |
20150108687 | Manufacturing in Microgravity and Varying External Force Environments - Additive manufacturing devices operable in various external force environments are disclosed. In an aspect, an additive manufacturing device operable in microgravity is disclosed. In other aspects, devices which are operable in high-vibration environments or varying external force environments are disclosed. Additive manufacturing devices herein may produce parts from metal, polymer, or other feedstocks. | 04-23-2015 |
20150076732 | Additive Manufacturing of Extended Structures - An extended structure additive manufacturing device and method are provided. The device includes a movable material bonding component and a movement mechanism which enable the device to create parts outside the conventional additive manufacturing device print volumes defined by the device and its print-head. Methods of making parts involve creating a portion of a part and moving the extended structure additive manufacturing device relative to the part and printing a second portion of the part. Parts incapable of being formed using a conventional additive manufacturing device may be made using the extended structure additive manufacturing device and/or methods disclosed herein. | 03-19-2015 |