NASA announced a new union Focused on building In-Space Service, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities Space architecture and mission are a routine part of the life cycle,
Through a range of capabilities, ISAM can enable new mission paradigms and extend the life of spacecraft, according to the agency.
Space includes activities including service spacecraft repair, refueling, transfer, and modernization, while assembly and manufacturing include capabilities such as 3D printing and assembling components in space, Together, these capabilities could enable a more sustainable, robust, and long-lasting space ecosystem.
cosmic initiative
NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) created and funded the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC). In February 2023, the agency selected The Aerospace Corporation to operate the pool. A kickoff meeting is planned for the fall of 2023.
Jim Reuter, the STMD associate administrator at NASA Headquarters in Washington, explained: “We want to foster a national coalition between government, industry, non-profit research institutions, and academia to ensure that the US leads the world in ISAM “.
This new consortium provides a venue for all parties to coordinate and collaborate on capacity development, business matters, and mission applications.,
The Consortium is aligned with the ISAM National Strategy and ISAM National Implementation Plan published in 2022, providing an opportunity for collaboration between government, industry, and academia to advance common goals in ISAM capacity development.
For her part, Trudy Cortes, director of technology demonstrations for STMD, said: “NASA, government agencies, and industry have invested in ISAM robotic technologies for decades. Still, modern satellites are rarely capable of grabbing, refueling, and being Designed and manufactured with things like other robotic repairs. We want to change that.”
