3D Printing the Future of Space: Fleet Space Technologies
Dr Chris Kemp from Fleet Space Technologies explains how additive manufacturing allows for rapid prototyping, lightweight satellite structures, and the world’s first 3D-printed antennas.
[00:00:36] Chris Kemp is an additive manufacturing engineer—a fancy industry term for a 3D printing expert. Fleet Space is a rapidly growing Australian company with over 120 employees, specializing in commercial satellite manufacturing and space-tech innovation.
The Prototyping Phase: Plastic First
[00:01:08] Before building high-cost metal components, Fleet Space starts with plastic. Every part of a satellite is 3D printed in plastic first to test fit and function. This “low-stakes” prototyping ensures that when engineers move to expensive materials like aluminum, the design is already proven to work.
[00:01:41] Chris encourages students to use 3D printers in their schools and libraries. The skills learned using basic hobbyist machines are the same professional principles used at Fleet Space to build real orbital hardware.
World-First Metal Antennas
[00:09:21] Fleet Space is the first company in the world to 3D print all-metal patch antennas for satellites. These antennas are critical because they allow the satellite to communicate and beam data back to Earth. By 3D printing them in Adelaide, Fleet has achieved radical efficiencies in weight and signal performance.
[00:06:45] Weight is the enemy of any space launch. Using 3D printing, Chris’s team can create lattice structures and “aluminum sandwiches”—parts that look chunky but weigh only about 50 grams. These lightweight designs are incredibly strong and survive the intense vibrations of a rocket launch.
Printing Circuit Boards and Motors
[00:03:58] The technology has advanced to the point where Fleet can even 3D print multi-layer circuit boards. While the electronic components themselves aren’t printed yet, the boards are built up layer by layer, integrating metal traces directly into the structure.
[00:07:29] One of the most impressive examples shown is a 3D-printed rocket motor. Because it is printed as a single unit, there is no need for heavy bolts or seals. You can even see the tiny integrated pipes and injectors used to feed fuel and oxidizer into the motor.
Iterative Design: Moving at Space Speed
[00:05:40] Traditional manufacturing cycles can take months. If a part arrives and doesn’t fit, you have to wait another three months for a replacement. With in-house 3D printing, Fleet Space has reduced this cycle to less than two weeks. They can produce and test five different designs in a single month to reach perfection faster.
[00:08:43] Chris points out that industrial software like 3D Expert is used to pack hundreds of parts onto a single printing plate. This makes individual parts incredibly cheap—sometimes costing less than a dollar—while allowing the team to print their own custom tools, like specialized wing nuts, on demand.
The Goal: Making Things on the Moon
[00:12:15] The ultimate mission for 3D printing is In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). Chris explains that shipping materials to the Moon is too expensive. The future involves using lunar regolith (moon dust) to 3D print entire buildings, bases, and replacement rover parts directly on the lunar surface.
[00:13:08] Chris’s journey started with being a “hands-on” person. Despite not having the highest scores in school, his passion for building led him to become an expert. He now works with one of the largest metal 3D printers in the Southern Hemisphere—a seven-ton machine that turns aluminum powder into the future of space exploration.
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