The 3D printed Robai Cyton Gamma 300 robotic arm is about to be installed in the International Space Station, carrying its "Cygnus" (The Cygnus, a spacecraft made for arms, rocket and space station maker Orbital ATK.) Has arrived internationally last weekend. space station. The Cygnus also carries several CubeSats, a new type of microsatellite in a cube, and other equipment.
"Cygnus" arrived at the International Space Station on October 23 after a seven-day voyage after launch at NASA's Wallops Island, Virginia base on October 17. So far, about 5,000 pounds of scientific equipment, food and other supplies have been offloaded from the Cygnus onto the International Space Station. The planned scientific investigation includes research on how fire has changed in space, the effect of lighting on sleep and daily life, and so on. There is also a very attractive …
Cygnus carried a 3D printed Cyton Gamma 300 robot arm. The robotic arm was 3D printed from ABSPlus thermoplastic material by robotic expert Robai from Stratasys, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company. It has a maximum payload of 300g, a total length of 53.4cm, and a weight of 1.2kg. It can also make user-friendly actions through the built-in task software.
Robai said that FDM 3D printing has helped the company reduce costs and labor, as well as shorten production time. Robai's Chief Business Development Officer David Askey said: "The traditional method of making this robotic arm takes about 70 hours of production time, costs $ 7,000, and usually takes two weeks to complete. Using FDM can reduce manual labor to about four Hours, costs reduced to $ 400, and lead times reduced to one day. "
This is the fifth time that Orbital ATK has carried a cargo with the Cygnus to the International Space Station under a contract with NASA. When Cygnus arrived at the International Space Station, it was secured and brought to its docking position by the giant Canadarm2, a 17.6-meter (58-foot) robotic arm with a payload of up to 116,000 kilograms (256,000 pounds).
In addition to 3D printed robotic arms and other equipment, Cygnus also comes with four Spire LEMUR-2 CubeSats, which are part of the Spire Global Inc. remote sensing satellite constellation, providing global ship tracking and weather monitoring capabilities. These CubeSats, installed outside the Cygnus, help ensure the smooth running of the global shipping industry.