“ The MakerBot METHOD X produces dimensionally tolerant parts right out of the box – and for all sorts of projects, you can print multiple parts that can mate together.” Christian and his teammates are using METHOD X to print a number of parts for prototyping and proof of concept for the rover project, including embedded systems housing, sensor mounts, and other custom parts. The 3D printer manufacturer explains in a press release that Lockheed Martin engineers are testing a multitude of applications designed for the lunar rover. 3D printing lets me do fast and iterative design, reducing wait times for a part from weeks to hours.” This allows me to quickly test the 3D-printed part, identify weak points, adjust the model, send it back to print overnight, and then have the next iteration in the morning.
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“I will design a part, print it, and have it in my hand hours later. “ At ATC, we have multiple MakerBot printers that help with quick turnaround times,” said Aaron Christian, senior mechanical engineer, Lockheed Martin Space. This portfolio of machines includes among others, the MakerBot METHOD X® 3D printing platform which helps the team print parts in materials like Nylon Carbon Fiber and ABS for testing.
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Together, they are developing a new fully-autonomous lunar rover that could be used for NASA’s Artemis program.Īs part of the construction of this rover’s autonomy system, Lockheed Martin develops some of its components at its R&D facility in Palo Alto, Calif., the Advanced Technology Center (ATC), which is well-equipped with a variety of cutting-edge technology, including a lab full of 3D printers. Two of these companies are aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin and car manufacturer General Motors. As these resources are important for future human colonies on the Moon, NASA, together with several commercial companies, are gearing up to land at the poles and attempt mining operations to extract water and other volatiles from these PSRs.
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The Lunar Rover Project has been launched based on one observation: significant resources, including water ice, have been discovered in Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) at the Moon’s South and North Poles by remote sensing techniques aboard a number of NASA’s satellites (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, e.g.).