Out of This World: Space Exploration Innovations at IMTS
The more time passes, the more it becomes clear that space exploration and manufacturing have a close-knit future together. (Click through for a slideshow of the coolest space gear we found on the show floor!)
Scott Francis
Editor-In-Chief, Gardner Business Media
SPace rACE oN THE imts shOW flOOR
NASA’s first-ever booth at the Smartforce Student Summit features an interactive exhibit and includes models of the Orion spacecraft, which will put the first woman and person of color on the moon.
Mitsui Seiki’s booth highlights the hexagonal beryllium mirrors it machined for the James Webb Telescope, the largest optical telescope in space.
A close-up photo of the hexagonal beryllium mirrors Mitsui Seiki machined for the James Webb Telescope, the largest optical telescope in space.
A miniature model of the Giant Magellean Telescope is on display at IMTS. The actual telescope is currently under construction.
A look inside the miniature model of the Giant Magellan Telescope. Once completed, the actual telescope will be 22 stories tall.
Another look inside the mini model of the Giant Magellan Telescope, 200 times smaller than the actual telescope will be. The telescope is to be built in Chile.
A lunar habitat designed by SAGA and brought to fruition via additive manufacturing. These habitats are meant to serve as housing for astronauts and endure the harsh environmental conditions on the Moon’s surface.
A simulation of astronauts on the lunar surface. The lunar habitats serve as housing for astronauts on their missions to the Moon.
An Ingersoll robotic cell provides a live demonstration of the part of the process of developing a lunar habitat.
A closer look at an Ingersoll robotic cell developing part of a lunar habitat with SAGA’s design. This live demonstration features 3D printing and milling.
With the Artemis One launch tentatively scheduled for late September, manufacturing’s role in space exploration is on the mind of many IMTS attendees. Let your imagination take flight as you visit AMT’s Emerging Technology Center (ETC) at the entrance of the North Building, Level 3. The exhibit includes a portion of an additively manufactured lunar habitat designed by SAGA Space Architects (Copenhagen, Denmark) in partnership with the Institut auf dem Rosenberg and in collaboration with Ingersoll Machine Tools (IMTS booths: 338004 and 431522). Within the booth, an Ingersoll robotic cell with 3D printing and milling capabilities demonstrates the process of manufacturing the habitat.
The ETC also showcases Ingersoll’s role in the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope. The 22 story-tall structure will be assembled in the Las Campana Observatory in Chile and provide a tool up to 200 times more powerful than existing research telescopes.
Speaking of telescopes, don’t miss the Mitsui Seiki display (Booth 338700) featuring a video of how the company machined the hexagonal beryllium mirror sections for the James Webb Telescope.
Students and educators can visit NASA at the Smartforce Student Summit (North Building, Level 1), an interactive exhibit featuring a leading industry manufacturers demonstrating a range of today’s breakthrough technologies.
Space exploration and manufacturing innovation is intertwined, and it is all around you at IMTS.
The International Manufacturing Technology Show runs September 12 - 17, 2022 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Register for IMTS today to start planning your show.