Additive manufacturing combined with In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) could reshape space exploration: instead of carrying everything from Earth, we use 3D printing to turn locally sourced materials — such as lunar regolith — into tools, spare parts and structures, effectively moving the factory to the destination. Printing regolith is hard, though: the powder flows and spreads poorly, the process is unstable, and printed parts are prone to defects.
We develop new solutions to handle irregular powder, improve its flowability and spreading, and bring the process under control through sensor-integrated platforms and in-situ, data-driven monitoring. The same approach extends to the reduced regolith left after oxygen extraction, turning a by-product into printable feedstock for autonomous manufacturing on the Moon.
