4 min read<\/p>\n
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
By Wayne Smith<\/em><\/p>\n As NASA plans for humans to return to the Moon and eventually explore Mars, a laser beam welding collaboration between NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and The Ohio State University in Columbus aims to stimulate in-space manufacturing.<\/p>\n The multi-year effort seeks to understand the physical processes of welding on the lunar surface, such as investigating the effects of laser beam welding in a combined vacuum and reduced gravity environment. The goal is to increase the capabilities of manufacturing in space to potentially assemble large structures or make repairs on the Moon, which will inform humanity\u2019s next giant leap of sending\u00a0astronauts to Mars<\/a>\u00a0and beyond.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a long time, we\u2019ve used fasteners, rivets, or other mechanical means to keep structures that we assemble together in space,\u201d said Andrew O\u2019Connor, a Marshall materials scientist who is helping coordinate the collaborative effort and is NASA\u2019s technical lead for the project. \u201cBut we\u2019re starting to realize that if we really want strong joints and if we want structures to stay together when assembled on the lunar surface, we may need in-space welding.\u201d The ability to weld structures in space would also eliminate the need to transport rivets and other materials, reducing payloads for space travel. That means learning how welds will perform in space.<\/p>\n To turn the effort into reality, researchers are gathering data on welding under simulated space conditions, such as temperature and heat transfer in a vacuum; the size and shape of the molten area under a laser beam; how the weld cross-section looks after it solidifies; and how mechanical properties change for welds performed in environmental conditions mimicking the lunar surface.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce you leave Earth, it becomes more difficult to test how the weld performs, so we are leveraging both experiments and computer modeling to predict welding in space while we\u2019re still on the ground,\u201d said O\u2019Connor.<\/p>\n In August 2024, a joint team from Ohio State\u2019s Welding Engineering and Multidisciplinary Capstone Programs and Marshall\u2019s Materials & Processes Laboratory performed high-powered fiber laser beam welding aboard a commercial aircraft that simulated reduced gravity. The aircraft performed parabolic flight<\/a> maneuvers that began in level flight, pulled up to add 8,000 feet in altitude, and pushed over at the top of a parabolic arc, resulting in approximately 20 seconds of reduced gravity to the passengers and experiments.<\/p>\n While floating in this weightless environment, team members performed laser welding experiments in a simulated environment similar to that of both low Earth orbit and lunar gravity. Analysis of data collected by a network of sensors during the tests will help researchers understand the effects of space environments on the welding process and welded material.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring the flights we successfully completed 69 out of 70 welds in microgravity and lunar gravity conditions, realizing a fully successful flight campaign,\u201d said Will McAuley, an Ohio State welding engineering student.<\/p>\n Funded in part by Marshall and spanning more than two years, the work involves undergraduate and graduate students and professors from Ohio State, and engineers across several NASA centers. Marshall personnel trained alongside the university team, learning how to operate the flight hardware and sharing valuable lessons from previous parabolic flight experiments. NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center<\/a> in Hampton, Virginia, developed a portable vacuum chamber to support testing efforts.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dsc-0502.jpg\")
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