Description
In-space manufacturing has the potential to fundamentally change how spacecraft are designed, deployed, and sustained, removing long-standing constraints imposed by launch and enabling mission-optimised structures and systems. At the University of Glasgow, this opportunity has driven a coordinated effort to move beyond conceptual promise towards validated, responsible engineering solutions.
This keynote will present the University of Glasgow’s approach to in-space manufacturing, from early-stage technology development through to patented manufacturing concepts and a parabolic flight campaign that provided critical microgravity validation.
These experiments offered unique insight into material behaviour, process stability, and system performance in representative space conditions.
Crucially, the programme is underpinned by a commitment to safety and sustainability. The talk will introduce the UK Space Agency–funded Multi-Purpose Environmental Chamber (MPEC), developed to rigorously assess environmental, mechanical, and long-term risks associated with manufacturing in space. By coupling technology development with qualification and risk reduction, the lecture will outline how in-space manufacturing can transition from a disruptive concept to a safe, sustainable, and deployable capability for future space systems.
Speaker(s)
Gilles Bailet leads research on in-space manufacturing, robotics, and space systems. He has patented manufacturing technology, microgravity flight, and is part of the UK Space Agency–funded Multi-Purpose Environmental Chamber (MPEC) for sustainable qualification of space manufacturing.