In an ambitious move that marks a significant leap towards building the future of extraterrestrial infrastructure, Solideon, a pioneering US-based company specializing in collaborative robotic systems for metal 3D printing, has teamed up with Dubai’s LEAP 71, known for its cutting-edge computational and AI-based engineering technology. This groundbreaking partnership is set to push the boundaries of space construction, focusing on the off-planet production of metal structures on a grand scale.
At the heart of this collaboration is the fusion of Solideon’s innovative Aperture technology and LEAP 71’s Computational Engineering Models (CEM). Together, these technologies promise to overcome current manufacturing limitations by enabling the production of metal structures of unprecedented size, critical for the expansion of human presence in space.
Josefine Lissner, Founder and CEO of LEAP 71, emphasized the growing demand for access to space and the accompanying challenge of creating large-scale space hardware. “Access to space will expand significantly in the coming years. But how do we build the large components that will be needed to create extraterrestrial infrastructure? LEAP 71’s computational models can design sophisticated space hardware, however, limitations of the current manufacturing processes, including the small build volumes of most industrial 3D printers, are holding us back. Solideon will help us produce objects that are enormous by today’s standards.”
Solideon’s Aperture system is a marvel of engineering, integrating multiple manufacturing processes such as wire-arc 3D printing, CNC milling, and assembly of subcomponents into a cohesive and collaborative whole. This integration, coupled with LEAP 71’s computational models, is not just about scaling up production sizes; it’s about redefining what’s possible in space technology.
“A spacefaring society needs new production technologies that surpass conventional terrestrial approaches,” stated Oluseun Taiwo, Founder and CEO of Solideon. “The Aperture system combines many steps into one cohesive, autonomous, and collaborative whole. We can now manufacture large-scale objects on Earth and eventually will do so in zero gravity. By tightly integrating the engineering algorithms created by LEAP 71 with our software-driven production system, we can build objects that move space technology to a new level.”
This partnership not only heralds a new era for space exploration and infrastructure development but also showcases the potential of combining computational design with advanced manufacturing techniques. With their sights set on sectors such as large rocket propulsion systems and space infrastructure components, Solideon and LEAP 71 are paving the way for humanity’s next giant leap.
