As we move beyond low Earth orbit, on-demand local manufacturing technology will become a mainstay for mission planning to address critical needs. Redwire, in partnership with NASA, has demonstrated the efficacy of additive manufacturing to support exploration needs on the International Space Station (ISS). AMF is designed as a modular device that is easily upgraded to increase functionality, and is compatible with over 30 polymers, including space-rated, high-performance thermoplastics. This technology enables the rapid iteration and deployment of in-space needs for long-duration missions.

To further increase the reliability of long-duration missions, on-demand manufacturing capabilities also make human spaceflight missions safer, providing additional flexibility in responding to situations that threaten a mission. Having these capabilities makes the mission more resilient by allowing contingency planners to design tools to be manufactured on-site, on-demand. Long term, these capabilities are crucial to enabling sustainable human presence in space that is not reliant on resupply from Earth.