Space application represents a challenge for the lubrication of tribological components from two perspectives – performance and cleanliness. Due to the vacuum of space, and in particular in the presence of sensitive (e.g. optical) components, an extremely low volatility is required to limit evaporation or outgassing, which can lead to lubricant loss and contamination issues.

In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) is a revolutionary approach to building and maintaining space infrastructure. By constructing and fabricating components directly in orbit or beyond, ISAM reduces the reliance on Earth-based manufacturing and launch constraints, offering numerous advantages for space exploration, commercial applications, and sustainability. ROBOFAB was proposed as a mission study for redefining how large and complex structures are manufactured and assembled in orbit.

The PhaNi-Neutron project, conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS,
focused on the phase and strain monitoring during the laser based direct energy deposition (DED-LB/M) of
Ni-superalloys using in-situ neutron and synchrotron diffraction techniques. The project aimed to enhance
the understanding of the solidification processes and phase evolution in additive manufacturing, specifically for the nickel superalloys IN718 and IN625.

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is a reasonable approach for future exploration missions to build structures on Moon or Mars with on-site resources such as regolith or Sulfur. Such structures can be habitats for astronauts, landing pads or spare parts needed during such missions. The idea is to save payload by using the regolith for radiation shielding, protection against micrometeorite impacts or similar applications.

Background and justification:

Lessons learnt on the use of grease lubricants for applications in space mechanisms confirm their high chemical stability on long-term storage (LTS), due to intrinsic inertness of their fluorocarbon-based components which could be affected only via catalytic effect of metal compounds. What is observed even in widely used space-qualified greases is physical delamination leading to separation of the base oil and the solid filler. This delamination affects the lubricant?s viscosity and dielectric properties.