Additive in Space: Cost Reduction in Aerospace Through Additive Manufacturing

Spacecraft are developed on Earth, tested, fully assembled, and transported in one piece by a launch vehicle to their respective places of operation. Each component must be designed to withstand the high loads of the launch phase. In most cases, in addition to complex test procedures, this leads to an oversized structure of the spacecraft components, because in orbit they experience only a fraction of the stresses they must endure during the rocket launch. The maximum take-off mass required for transport with the launch vehicle and the volume of satellites, for example, causes high space transport costs. At the same time, space in the rocket is restricted, limiting the design of the spacecraft from the outset.