The idea behind the technology is to eliminate the need to build such structures on Earth and then transport them into space. Building composite structures in space eliminates the need to design the structures to withstand launch loads and or fit into the payload bay of a rocket. This would enable engineers to concentrate on designing structures to meet functional design requirements rather than launch requirements.

“The AToM dual-robotic manufacturing system enables tool-less, in-space fabrication of large, high-performance thermoplastic composite structures, freeing future space platforms from Earth-bound size, weight and launch-load constraints,” says Waruna Seneviratne, director of the Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems at NIAR. “By coordinating laser-heated deposition with synchronized consolidation, AToM delivers true 3D continuous-fiber additive manufacturing, dramatically reducing mass, enabling in-orbit assembly, and opening the door to scalable, mission-tailored space habitats and structures.”