On-orbit manufacturing using solid foams

Hastie, Peter G.B. (2025) On-orbit manufacturing using solid foams. MSc(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

There is growing interest in the development of processes that can enable the manufacturing of products in space. In-space manufacturing could remove the limitations imposed by terrestrial manufacturing and the launch environment on products used in space and enable large-scale space infrastructure that could further develop in-space capabilities. Examples of large-scale space infrastructure, that could be enabled by in-space manufacturing, include large solar arrays, or orbital reflectors, to increase the amount of light on terrestrial solar arrays. Given the large scale of the proposed infrastructure made using in-space manufacturing and the large energy demands that such construction would place on a space mission, materials that have a low energy consumption for each unit of volume or mass constructed could present advantages for an in-space manufacturing facility. This thesis examines the use of solid foams, which typically require much less energy to apply, to construct an equivalent volume of engineered plastics or metals.

To explore the development of in-space manufacturing and solid foam manufacturing, this thesis presents a literature review based on these fields. A trade-off review is also conducted to compare the material properties and process characteristics of a range of potential in space manufacturing processes and the materials that they are capable of producing, to understand what characteristics are important for an in-space manufacturing facility. Case studies were used to understand if solid foams could provide an advantage for products manufactured in space. Two generalised use cases were explored, one structural and one thermal, where each was an abstract use case that was not bound by a specific mission, as well as a specific use case, in which the solid foam was intended for a specific mission application. The structural generalised use case compared constructing and using solid foams for a structural beam with constructing and using stainless steel and PEEK beams using a direct energy deposition process and a fused filament fabrication process, respectively. It was found that, while the solid foam beam required more volume than the other beams, it could be produced with significantly less energy and over a much shorter time span. The generalised thermal use case compared the construction and use of a solid foam insulator with a multi-layer insulator made of a PEEK frame and aluminium film, constructed using a fused filament fabrication and a physical vapour deposition process. It was found that, while a large mass of foam was required to produce that insulating layer, when compared to the multi-layer system, the foam layer took less energy to produce. The specific use case considered an aerocapture around Mars, in which solid foam was used to construct an aeroshell. This solid foam aeroshell was compared with an inflatable system and a chemical propulsion system to understand if it could provide a reduction in the proportion of mission mass required for the aerocapture. It was found that, for lighter missions a foam aeroshell could be used in a similar fashion to the inflatable system, however, it was noted, that the heat flux on the aeroshell would be significant, and further development would be needed to understand to protect the foam system form this high heat flux.

The thesis presents a plan for the future development of this research with a focus on verifying the material properties that a solid foam, produced in space, would have and developing a system capable of producing solid foams in vacuum and in microgravity. Two lines of enquiry are proposed, a practical experimental enquiry and computational analysis. The results of either enquiry could be used to further the understanding of solid foams made in space and which applications they may provide an advantage too.

• Item Type: Thesis (MSc(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Additional Information: The work reported in this thesis was supporting by funding from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Chair in Emerging Technologies programme.
• Subjects: T Technology > T Technology (General)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Science and Engineering
• Funder's Name: Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE)
• Supervisor's Name: McInnes, Professor Colin
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85473
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 25 Sep 2025 09:48
• Last Modified: 25 Sep 2025 09:50
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85473
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85473

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