3D printing spaceships


Spaceship best 3D printing models・Cults

How to make Desktop Neon Signs - 3D Printable, Battery or USB powered & Dimmable!

Free

Dark Cyberpunk City 2

€20.63

Dark Cyberpunk City 1

€19.48

Mass Effect Fleets

Free

Starship Light Carrier Stjarna Geisl (starbeam)

Free

Starship Mjolnir

Free

Energy Spiral Fusion Core Towers Kitbash

€25.21

Temeraire Class Battlecruiser

Free

Ranmir Class Cruiser

Free

Galea Class Battleship

€8. 02

Sci-fi Opera Skyscraper

€13.75

UFO

€0.71

Sci-Fi City Baron Tower Kitbash

€13.75

FASA Romulan Non-combatants: Star Trek starship parts kit expansion #26

Free

28mm/35mm Sci-Fi Flyer

Free

Earth Federation Cargo Ship

€9.41

Space Colonist Red Carrier

€9.41

NGC 5643 GALAXY 3D SOFTWARE ANALYSIS

€2.50

Mega Sci-Fi city Prison ship Kitbash

€13.75

Salamis Kai Class Chibi SD

€2.50

Rocinante Bookend

Free

Beer opener spaceship

€1. 99

triple canon

€1.88

industrial scatter/Barricades for Kill team

Free

Amaranth Strike Carrier

€3.38

The Last Vanguard - Battleship

€3.38

Mega Sci-Fi city Space station Kitbash 3

€18.33

Mega Sci-Fi city Space station Kitbash 1

€21.77

Mega Sci-Fi city Space station

€17.19

Mega Sci-Fi city Complex Station submerged 2

€17.19

Mega Sci-Fi city Complex Station submerged

€13.75

Mega city Complex 4

€16.04

Mega city Complex Tower 1

€13. 75

Mega city Complex 3

€11.46

Mega city hellscape 2

€10.31

Mega city Floor 5

€11.46

Mega city Floor 3

€10.31

Mega city Floor 2

€9.17

Sci-Fi City dystopia Mega city Floor 1

€8.02

Sci-Fi City dystopia Mega city colony 7

€16.04

Alien fish hide

Free

Star Wars - Imperial Star Destroyer

€1.29

spaceship

€1

Future SF Spaceship

€9.99

Derelict damaged space ship compatible kill team into the dark or boarding action games

€13. 78

Spacecraft Giraffe

Free

Millenium Falcon

€3.50

HARBINGER CHAOS BOMBER

€6.81

3d Print Spaceships - Etsy.de

Etsy is no longer supporting older versions of your web browser in order to ensure that user data remains secure. Please update to the latest version.

Take full advantage of our site features by enabling JavaScript.

Find something memorable, join a community doing good.

(665 relevant results)

3D printing and space: the most important

1. The use of additive technologies in the manufacture of spacecraft parts.

3D printing is actively used in the aerospace industry for the manufacture of prototypes, engine parts and tooling. Its use allows the manufacturer to reduce the cost of products, improve their performance, and significantly reduce the time of manufacture of individual products. All major companies involved in aerospace production are turning to additive technologies in one way or another. nine0005

Mostly 3D printed engine parts. Thus, the American company Aerojet Rocketdyne has signed a contract for 1.6 billion dollars for the production of the RS-25 rocket engine, some of the parts for which will be made on a 3D printer. Production of a single part by traditional methods could take half a year - 3D printing allowed Aerojet Rocketdyne to reduce time and costs, significantly speed up the prototype production process. In addition, the company successfully uses additive technologies in other projects. nine0005

Another US company, Rocket Lab, is building New Zealand's first orbital launch station. It is from there that it is planned to launch the world's first rocket, the oxygen-hydrocarbon engine of which is completely printed on a 3D printer.

The list would be incomplete without businessman and designer Elon Musk. His company SpaceX has successfully tested 3D-printed SuperDraco engines to be used in the Dragon spacecraft and is also working on the Raptor Rocket propulsion system. nine0005

Other industrial giants didn't stop at engines. Blue Origin used over 400 3D printed parts on New Sheppard's first flight in June 2015.

And Boeing has contracted Oxford Performance Materials, a leading additive manufacturing specialist, to produce 600 3D printed parts for the new Starliner space taxis.

Additive technologies are also used in promising projects of the near future. NASA is using advanced techniques in preparing for a Mars mission: 3D printing is already being used to create prototypes, manufacture parts in space, and even make engine parts for a future ship that will go to Mars. nine0005

The Russian aerospace industry is also beginning to introduce 3D printing. For these purposes, the Roscosmos Corporation has received a unique domestic 3D printer Router 3131 with a large print field. He will create elements of spacecraft.

2. The use of 3D printing in the production of satellites and vehicles.

Another direction in the aerospace industry, which we decided to consider separately, is additive technologies in the production of satellites. Unlike a rocket, the cost of a satellite is significantly lower, but it can also be reduced by paying attention to innovative technologies. nine0005

Aerospace giant Boeing has done just that by using 3D printing to produce modular satellites. Now one device costs, on average, 150 million dollars - this price is due not only to the high-tech component, but also to the significant cost of the labor force involved in production. When using 3D printers, the cost and production time of satellites are significantly reduced.

Small start-ups and research projects have more modest goals, but 3D printing helps them too. A team of researchers at Northwestern Nazarene University in Idaho awaits the launch of their 3D-printed MakerSat satellite, the first in the state, into space. The dimensions of the device are only 10x10x11.35 cm, and it is created from available polymers for 3D printing (ABS, ULTEM and nylon). nine0005

High performance satellite developer Millennium Space Systems recently announced the completion of a pre-production model of the ALTAIR series, which is now being prepared for launch into space. The new technologies used in the design of the satellite will make new space missions possible. For example, 3D printing will save on the cost of sending parts into space and reduce the time it takes to prepare and conduct missions.

Russian scientists also excelled. In 2016, the Tomsk-TPU-120 small satellite was developed at the Tomsk Polytechnic University. When creating the device, scientists and students of Tomsk Polytechnic University used additive technologies - the frame and most of the components are printed on a 3D printer. On March 31, 2016, the 3D satellite left the Earth and settled in orbit. nine0005

Juno flew even further. The NASA space station with that name entered Jupiter's orbit in the summer of 2016. This event is also important for 3D printing, as Juno became the first spacecraft with 3D printed parts - titanium waveguide elements manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

3. Space 3D printers.

Astronauts in orbit often cannot provide themselves with everything they need and have to wait for cargo that arrives at the International Space Station (ISS) during scheduled flights. Unfortunately, during this time the crew is not insured against accidents or breakdowns of important systems. 3D printing experiments in space offer the potential to print needed parts if any parts fail in space. This is very important for future flights to Mars and other planets: for a long time, the colonists will not be able to receive help from Earth. Therefore, in the forthcoming expeditions, it is extremely important to use all available opportunities for the manufacture of products on board ships and space stations. nine0005

Such experiments have been carried out on the ISS since 2014. It was then that the Zero G 3D printer manufactured by Made in Space was delivered to the American segment of the station. The first print took place on November 24, 2014 and marked a new era in the development of 3D technologies. The printed object was a part of the printer itself, the faceplate of the printhead, symbolizing the ability to one day print a 3D printer in space on a 3D printer. In 2016, another Made in Space printer called the Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF) was delivered to the ISS. nine0005

Since then, print trials on the ISS have taken place regularly. One of the latest ideas was an innovative plan by the Canadian company 3D4MD, which involved printing medical devices, such as splints or surgical instruments, on the ISS. To create devices such as custom splints for broken fingers, 3D4MD's developers could use, for example, measurements taken during the preparation of spacesuits and create a model on Earth. The 3D model can then be sent to the ISS, where the tire will be 3D printed. nine0005

Roskosmos is also developing a similar project. An experiment called "3D printing" should confirm the possibility of using a 3D printer in the absence of gravity. This device was created within the walls of the Tomsk Polytechnic Institute and agreed with the engineers of RSC Energia. The printer will go to the ISS in 2018.

Not being able to conduct experiments in space, other powers organize experiments on the ground. A development team from China recently successfully tested the first 3D printer designed for weightless conditions. Many difficult tests were carried out in the French city of Bordeaux. nine0005

4. 3D bioprinting in space.

It is known that in outer space there is electromagnetic and radiation radiation that has a detrimental effect on biological tissues. In order for the astronaut to be able to endure all the hardships of the flight, the protection of the ship alone is not enough - it is necessary to think about high-quality medical care. And if it does not help, then it’s about replacing any organs.

That is why the Russian United Rocket and Space Corporation (ORSC) agreed on an experiment to use a 3D bioprinter on the International Space Station (ISS). Its developer was the Russian laboratory 3D Bioprinting Solutionsspecializing in bioprinting technologies. Scientists hope that the magnetic bioprinter will make it possible to create tissues and organs in space. It is expected that the device will be delivered to the ISS by 2018. nine0005

There are no analogues of the Russian project abroad yet.

5. Construction of structures using building 3D printing.

One of the most basic problems in the construction of buildings on extraterrestrial objects is the limited amount or lack of building material. The only available raw materials that do not need to be transported from our planet are local geological rocks. It is not surprising that scientists are solving the problem of using them in the construction of buildings. nine0005

For example, engineers at Northwestern University in the US have found a way to use quality materials in situations where resources are limited. We are talking about the process of additive manufacturing from special materials that mimic the lunar and Martian regolith. These are strong and elastic materials that are produced using powdered substances that resemble rocks from the surface of the Moon and Mars.

It is likely that this technology will be used in the colonization of Mars. Due to extreme temperatures and high radiation on the surface of the "red planet", the first colonizers will need reliable shelters. NASA experts propose using 3D printing to create a "dome" of ice from the surface of Mars, covered with a transparent membrane of fluoroplast-40. One of the main advantages of a water-based dwelling is that such walls protect from cosmic radiation, but do not prevent the penetration of light - this creates some comfort. In addition, when choosing materials, other criteria were taken into account - their strength and reliability, the ability to withstand the difficult conditions of Mars. nine0005

The European Space Agency (ESA) is working in the same direction and has already achieved some results. Scientists from the Austrian University of Applied Sciences in Wiener Neustadt managed to 3D print a small needle and a corner wall from JSC-Mars-1A material, which mimics Martian soil.

In addition to serious research, there are quite unexpected projects. So, experts from the ESA we mentioned thought about saving the souls of the first lunar colonists and planned to build a temple on the moon using 3D printing. This building, poetically named Temple of Eternal Light, will be located in the center of a residential complex for the first lunar settlers and will combine a prayer place and an observatory. The designers believe that the temples on the moon will revive the lost connection between mankind and the cosmos. nine0005

However, according to Vyacheslav Bobin, head of the Center for the Study of Natural Substances at the Institute for the Integrated Exploration of the Subsoil of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the construction of settlements on the Moon is not such a fantastic prospect as you might think. A new Russian lunar exploration program could provide the conditions for building a base using 3D printing. If Russian researchers manage to identify a suitable location for the colony, Bobin believes a 3D printer could be used to construct buildings later on. nine0005

That's not all the exciting news about space 3D printing. What can you say, for example, about 3D-printed rocket fuel or the use of 3D technologies in the development of a unique space suit for the first participants in a Martian mission?

Read even more up-to-date information in our special section "Space" and don't forget to congratulate your family and friends on Cosmonautics Day!

How Relativity Space 3D prints rockets

Relativity Space co-founder, CEO Tim Ellis / Relativity Space / AFP

Relativity Space is printing a metal space rocket on a 3D printer it invented specifically for this purpose. Almost all: 95% is printed, and the remaining 5% falls on electronics, seals and some other elements. 3D printing has many advantages. She's cheaper. She's faster. It is made on the spot, no need to wait until the parts are brought from another factory. It is stronger: fewer places for fastening parts. “The Shuttle had 2.5 million parts,” says Relativity Space co-founder Tim Ellis. “According to our estimates, SpaceX and Blue Origin have reduced this number to 100,000 per rocket. We have a thousand - less than in your car. nine0005

Many space companies use 3D printing, but only for individual components. Skeptics insist that no one knows how the printed rocket will behave during takeoff and in space. So far, the startup's first rocket, Terran 1, has successfully passed all ground tests. The first copy for a real flight is collected slowly and carefully checked. Now it is ready for 85%. A test flight is scheduled for the end of this year. But investors believe in the idea. Last November, Relativity Space completed a series funding round and raised $500 million. After that, according to research company Pitchbook, with a business valuation of $2. 3 billion, Relativity Space became the second most valuable venture capital-funded space company in the world. In 1st place, of course, SpaceX (however, Pitchbook does not include Blue Origin in the rating, which is fully funded by Jeff Bezos). nine0005

Since then, Relativity Space has raised another round, raising $650 million, based on a company-wide valuation of $4.2 billion. reusable. After all, competitors do not sleep. Relativity Space is just one of more than a dozen rocket companies created in the last 10 years.

Launch from Mojave

Ellis was born in 1990 in Texas. He is the eldest of three children of an architect father and a dentist mother. As a child, Ellis was fond of Lego and persuaded his parents to buy about 200 sets. He immediately threw away the instructions from them and collected the spaceships he himself invented. Until now, the thumb of his right hand, when at rest, arched back more than his left - Ellis assured the Los Angeles Times that this was the result of long hours when he assembled and disassembled the designer's parts. nine0005

As Ellis got older, he began making amateur films with friends, mostly action films, where the characters were often confronted by zombies. He entered the University of Southern California to become a screenwriter. But already in his first year, he became interested in the profession of an aerospace engineer and joined the Rocket Propulsion Lab at the university, which was engaged in the development of rockets.

The University of Southern California is known for its space program. Its alumni include Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong, astronaut and former head of NASA Charles Bolden, and Dana Rohrabaker, chairman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. There are several laboratories where students create real rockets and satellites. “I was amazed,” Ellis recalled in an interview with the university website about the first time he went to test the rocket engine he designed and built with his comrades in the Mojave Desert. – I always advise students: take part in practical classes. So you will understand why you need to study this or that differential equation, scheme or line of code. nine0005

They wanted to be the first student group to launch a rocket into space. But, having carried out dozens of successful launches, they did not even achieve a suborbital flight - this was done by their successors in 2019, having developed more powerful engines.

Why leave Bezos and Musk

At Rocket Propulsion Lab, Ellis met and became friends with classmate Jordan Noone. Then their paths diverged for a while. Noon went to SpaceX, where he worked, among other things, on the Dragon 2 spacecraft. His emergency rescue system uses a 3D printed SuperDraco engine. nine0005

Ellis interned for three summers at Bezos' Blue Origin, and after graduating, he was hired full-time. He convinced Bezos to create a metal 3D printing division (by then many competitors, including Boeing, were doing it). He also created it from scratch. The traditional way of producing parts is turning on a lathe, stamping or casting with a mold. In 3D printing, robotic arms deposit layer upon layer of molten metal. A printed rocket has fewer parts, and therefore, places to connect them using welding, rivets, etc., and therefore fewer vulnerabilities. Skeptics object that if defects are found, the entire part has to be discarded and its manufacture must be started anew. But Ellis says that Relativity Space has developed a way to restart the printing process from the right place. “3D printed rockets are the future of rocketry and space exploration,” he told Inc. magazine. nine0005

Ellis and Noon often called each other and talked about rockets, although they worked for different space companies. They put together a rough cost structure to understand why rockets are so expensive. “80 to 90% goes to wages,” Noon told Bloomberg. 3D printing can dramatically reduce these costs.

Ellis once mentioned that he was going to start a startup to 3D print entire rockets. He later admitted to Inc. that he tried to get Bezos to print more parts for the rocket, but his suggestions were never fully implemented. Then he decided to take up rocket science himself. Noon liked the idea. Both left in December 2015 to create startup Relativity Space. nine0005

"I've never seen him give up, give up, or fail to solve a problem, even a really difficult one," Ellis told the Los Angeles Times of Noon. “I knew our startup was going to have a lot of problems, and he was the right person to make it all work.” And Noon noted: “I am strong in technical and practical aspects, and Ellis is strong in creative thinking and non-standard solutions.”

For 1 kg of satellite

Relativity Space received its first money from venture investor Mark Cuban. Ellis and Noon made about 20 attempts to guess Cuban's email address, as Cuban preferred texting to other forms of communication. Some of the letters were returned with a note that such an address does not exist, some got to other people. But one of the addresses turned out to be correct, and Cuban read the letter with the headline "Space Is Sexy: 3D Printing of an Entire Rocket. " Ellis and Noon asked for $100,000. Cuban, after five minutes of texting them, agreed to invest $500,000 (although they had to wait two months to check if they were fraudsters). “They are smart, resourceful, driven and always learning,” Cuban wrote in an email to The Times. “These are exactly the traits I look for in innovators.” nine0005

First, the startup needed to create a huge 3D printer - there were no models on the market suitable for their purposes. A lot of effort was put into this. But now the latest generation printer is able to print a part up to 32 feet (almost 10 m) high, while the height of the Terran 1 rocket is 115 feet (35 m). Ellis and Noon say that even if the rocket venture fails, they can always cash in on the sale of industrial 3D printers.

Terran 1 /Relativity Space

Created with Cuban's money, the first printer could print parts half the size of the last generation. But the working rocket engine printed on it made an impression on investors. First, they invested almost $10 million in the startup, then another $35 million, and in October 2019d. - another $ 140 million. Ellis and Noon planned to stop there. They did not want to dilute their share, and the funds raised should have been enough for the time before the first commercial launch, if they worked without haste. But in November 2020, another $500 million round of funding was raised. As Ellis explained to CNBC, “the development and scaling of the project needs to be accelerated.” That summer, the startup moved to a new 11,000-square-meter headquarters in Long Beach, California. m, where there will be a site for the production of rockets (the most important thing is that their new printer climbed there in height). Over the past year and a half, the company has more than doubled the number of employees. She now has 400+ people and plans to hire 200 more this year.

Ellis told Inc. that they already have $1 billion in launch contracts from government and commercial entities. Terran 1 can carry up to 1250 kg of payload. This is smaller than SpaceX's Falcon 9, but larger than Rocket Lab's Electron. Relativity Space is targeting a mid-sized satellite niche, much like a car, Ellis said. Its competitors are the Russian Soyuz-2-1V and the European Vega. Or the same Electron, if Terran 1 displays several small satellites at once. nine0005

The launch cost of Terran 1 is $12 million, i.e. just under $10,000 per 1 kg. Last year, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin announced a more than 30% reduction in the price of launch services for a number of satellites to the level of SpaceX: to $15,000-17,000 per 1 kg instead of $20,000-30,000.

Target - Mars

The competitive advantage of Relativity Space is not only in cost, but also in the fact that it can print a rocket to customer requirements, changing both the diameter of the rocket and the shape of the fairing for the satellite - of course, within the limits allowed by aerodynamics, Forbes explained. And she can do it quickly. Once the technology has been proven in practice, Relativity Space is going to print the rocket in 30 days and take another 30 days for pre-launch tests, Ellis told Scientific American. According to him, even SpaceX takes 12 to 18 months to build a conventional rocket. But Musk claims that his reusable rocket is ready for a new flight 51 days after the previous launch. nine0005

So in June, Relativity Space raised another $650 million from investors to accelerate the development of its own reusable Terran R rocket (almost entirely printed on a printer, of course). Its first launch is scheduled for 2024. It will be larger than the first one - 216 feet (66 m) high and designed for 20 tons of payload.

For Ellis and Noon, the main thing is that this project is another step towards interplanetary flights. Musk is looking for a way to get colonists to Mars, and Ellis and Noon are hoping to help them settle on the Red Planet. "If you believe - and I believe - that Elon [Musk] and NASA will send people to Mars, then <.


Learn more