200-Person Artificial Gravity Space Station

  • Collaborated with 40 engineers and scientists on the concept design of an artificial gravity space station.
  • A multi-disciplinary team was recruited to design and 3D print the space station mock up.
  • The project management approach involved hiring two dissimilar manufacturers who complemented each other.
  • The space station was printed, deburred, painted and assembled within 4 days and within the budget.

The design of the Axiom Space Artificial Gravity space station took part in the Summer of 2016. Forty engineers and scientists worked on this design as part of the International Space University’s Space Studies Program (SSP). It was commissioned by Axiom Space. 

I designed a 3D printed mockup of the space station. The station consists of a stationary cylindrical core surrounded by a rotating artificial gravity ring. A central bearing separates the rotating structure from the stationary microgravity core, with the sections connected by supporting spokes. Multi-purpose inflatable modules are installed on the ring, reconfigurable according to the evolving needs of the operator. The microgravity core uses a hydrostatic bearing system to remain stationary, while the outer ring maintains rotation at 2.9 rpm to produce an artificial gravity up to 0.8g. The de-spun column contains a Cupola, for viewing the Earth, and a reactor on the opposite side. 

The design process: 
The original SolidWorks model was scaled down by a factor of 250. I hired two 3D printing labs and had to design the model according to their printing limitations. The printers we had available could print a width of 30 cm at most. Therefore, a model with a 60cm diameter could be manufactured. We used Ultimaker, Makerbot, and UP printers. We first removed many of the small features which were simply too small/thin to print. For example, the spokes connecting the inner hub to the outer ring. We decided to split the ring into quarter sections in order to maximize the model size. We printed the Copula and reactor sections separately and left clearance for adhesive to connect the disparate parts. A wooden stand was cut using a laser cutter. 
Despite each unique part failing at least once, working with two printing labs ensured the project ended on time and budget. Printing, assembly and painting