Made In Space - Archinaut: ULISSES

Archinaut enables a wide range of in-space manufacturing and assembly capabilities by combining space-proven robotic manipulation with additive manufacturing demonstrated on the International Space Station (ISS) and in terrestrial laboratories. Archinaut enables fundamentally new spacecraft designs and reduces the costs associated with qualifying a satellite for launch. The synergy of its manufacturing and assembly capabilities are critical to constructing entire spacecraft on orbit.

Traditionally, satellite design has been constrained by launch-shroud size and launch load/environment survivability requirements. Similarly, due to lift capacity limits and the high risk and low availability of astronaut EVA for assembly, creating large space-based structures such as space stations has been a once-in-a-generation endeavor. Archinaut minimizes or removes these and other design limitations.

In this video the Archinaut technology is used on orbit to arrange data-transmitting nodes and struts into a unique ULISSES structure. Archinaut both manufactures and assembles the components for a ULISSES structure on orbit. Without the limitations of gravity, this type of lattice structure can be built to indefinite lengths.