In 2023, Titomic will manufacture radiation shielding for Fleet Space Technologies’ first Alpha satellites, which will be the world’s first fully additively made (3D printed) satellites.
Titomic will employ its Titomic Kinetic Fusion technology to minimize ionizing radiation and extend the satellite’s lifespan through a cold spray additive manufacturing and coating process that allows deposition and fusion of dissimilar metals.
The Alpha satellites will form a constellation that will backhaul customer data from places where terrestrial connectivity is not available.
Backhauling of geophysical survey data for mining exploration is one of the Fleet Space technology’s applications, allowing for quick 3D modeling of huge terrain.
“At Fleet, our vision is to provide connectivity everywhere on Earth and beyond. This requires an increasingly innovative approach to delivering satellite technology at scale and in a manner that is economically viable. Additive manufacturing is well-suited to these requirements,” said Fleet Space CEO and co-founder, Flavia Tata Nardini.
“Alpha represents a major step forward, as it will be the first time a satellite has been created entirely through 3D-printing. Additive manufacturing has the further advantage of allowing us to manufacture more components in-house, ensuring supply chain stability and offering greater flexibility in our engineering approach.”
Titomic’s radiation shielding was evaluated and verified by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) following Titomic’s award of a Modern Manufacturing Initiative grant last year.
Dr Rob Acres, Commercial Technical Consultant to ANSTO said: “ANSTO’s involvement in this project ensured Titomic was able to turnaround design quickly, and deliver new capabilities to the sector through ANSTO’s nuclear science and technology expertise.”
To provide radiation shielding, the Titomic Kinetic Fusion technology will fuse thin layers of material to produce customised, multi-material radiation shielding in a range of areal densities that are tailored to Alpha’s specific mission.
Titomic’s head of engineering, Max Osborne, said the technology offers a cost-effective solution for shielding to protect against harsh ionizing radiation in low-Earth orbit.
“Our additive manufactured multi-layer shielding is a simple and accessible solution to increase uptime and extend the useful life for a range of platforms,” he said.
“For example, in low-Earth orbit, a small amount of shielding provides a cost and weight-effective insurance policy for enhanced reliability and additional mission life, and for higher orbits, further shielding can even reduce a dependence on expensive, radiation-hardened components.”
The radiation-mitigating layer, according to Mr Osborne, will greatly extend the satellite’s lifespan, allowing it to operate for several years longer than prior generations.
“With an ever-increasing number of participants and commercialisation of space, increasing operational life is one aspect of managing congestion,” Mr Osborne continued.
“Extending the operational lifetime reduces the number of replacement platforms, their associated launch costs, and the need to track and de-orbit as many decommissioned platforms.
“The successful launch and operation of the satellite will pave the way toward greater inclusion of Fleet Space and Titomic within the international space industry.”
According to Titomic’s statement, its ongoing Modern Manufacturing Initiative grant activities also include the collaboration with Boeing to create parts with ‘green’ titanium.
SpaceX is expected to deploy Fleet Space Technologies’ Alpha satellites into low-Earth orbit in 2023.
