AON3D’s 3D-Printed Parts Are Closer to Landing on the Moon

NASA’s Peregrine Lander will feature parts 3D printed by AON3D, making it an additive manufacturing first on the moon. (Image courtesy of Astrobotic.)

Additive manufacturing being used in orbit or on rockets may not be new, but AON3D, in a partnership with Astrobotic, will be the first to send a lander with 3D-printed parts to the moon. Founded in 2015, the 3D printer manufacturer recently acquired $11.5 million in funding to bring Astrobotic’s Peregrine Moon Lander mission to fruition.

“Our printers’ ability to 3D print the lightest and strongest end-use parts—from virtually any of the highest-grade available thermoplastics—is what makes AON3D able to manufacture critical components for the most extreme use cases,” said Kevin Han, AON3D CEO and cofounder. “We believe the 3D printing future is more open source and financially accessible so SMBs have access to the same hardware as top firms. That’s exactly how we modeled AON3D and constructed our AON M2+ printer. We have investors that believe in our vision, and partners like Astrobotic that place the highest trust in our hardware.”

The Peregrine Lander, set to launch in 2022, will be the first lander on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Astrobotic, a lunar technology company, was awarded the mission in early 2021. The lander is currently in the construction phase. Knowing that the final frontier comes with extensive challenges, the company looked to 3D printing for cost savings and lightweight yet durable parts.

“There is no environment as demanding as the vacuum of space, and we need parts that are able to withstand the immense challenges of launch and spaceflight,” said Astrobotic Mechanical Engineer Clay Inman. “Being able to go from full-scale, economical prototypes to space-ready parts—using PEEK, PEKK, and ULTEM on one machine—was huge for achieving our ambitious goals. Now, we can rigorously test our parts, create custom tooling, and then go right into printing proprietary, mission-ready components with engineering-grade materials.”

For the latest mission, Astrobotic decided to partner with AON3D, which has quickly become an industry leader recognized in the space sector by NASA, Blue Origin, and others. The company’s AON M2+ will be used to print approximately 300 parts for the Peregrine.

AON3D’s AON M2+ will be used to print hundreds of end-use parts for the Peregrine Lander. (Image courtesy of AON3D.)

The AON M2+ is a high-temperature industrial 3D printer that allows for the use of advanced materials and has high-end features, including dual independent 500°C extruders, hardened steel extruders ready for steel or carbon, a 450 x 450 x 640 mm heated build chamber, heated build bed, swappable print surfaces, and configurable process parameters. According to AON3D, full-density 3D-printed parts have been tested up to 50,689 J/m² in a single direction via ASTM Izod Type E tests with a 2.7J pendulum.

The AON M2+ can print materials that possess higher strength-to-weight ratios than aluminum, chemical/hydrocarbon resistance, biocompatible/sterilizable properties, thermal resistance, and more. (Image courtesy of AON3D.)

Astrobotic will be using the AON3D M2+ for lunar hardware, such as bracketry components, as well as fixtures within integral avionics boxes that are necessary for data handling and mission command. The 3D manufacturer’s technology will also allow capsules to be 3D printed for the DHL MoonBox, which will be used to transport private payloads.

Interested in other technologies changing space exploration? Check out Interstellar Lab’s BioPods May Be Key to Life on Mars—and Earth and HPE Sends an Edge-Computing and AI-Capable System to the ISS.