ADVANCED SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING OF SPACE-QUALIFIED COMPONENTS FROM RECYCLED HIGH-VALUE FEEDSTOCK - EXPRO+

Objective:To identify, demonstrate, and implement recycling of high-value scrap into quality feedstock for additivemanufacturing of components for space applications.Description:As the demand for spacecraft, satellites and launch systems grows, so too does the consumption of criticalraw materials - many of which are finite, expensive and environmentally burdensome to extract. Recycling andreusing materials offer a strategic solution, reducing dependency on virgin resources, lowering carbonemissions and enhancing supply chain resilience. By integrating recycled materials into components, thespace sector can not only reduce its environmental footprint but also pioneer circular economy practices that will be essential for long-term sustainability - both on Earth and in future off-world manufacturing ecosystems.Furthermore, materials like titanium, aluminium and nickel alloys are in high demand in the space sector, yetthese materials are primarily imported from non-European sources. Developing local recycling solutions for high-value, critical materials is a vital step towards achieving European material self-sufficiency, especially in the current geopolitical and economic context. Potentially significant sources of scrap include machining waste (e.g. swarf, off cuts) and unused powder from additive manufacturing. Scrapped parts due to manufacturing defects are expected to be a secondary, less frequent, source but may become more relevant in the context of out-of-earth manufacturing. The space sector should also consider sourcing waste/scrap materials from other industries (e.g. aviation, automotive).The activity will start by identifying hot spots of high-value material scrap across European manufacturing(space and non-space). A hot spot in this context would be defined as materials with high volume of scrap,high material value/cost, raw material being sourced outside Europe, and high demand by the space industry.Selected scrap will then be processed into quality raw materials, tested, and used to produce and evaluate ademonstrator part to be defined based on a business case (e.g. bracket, fuel tank).This activity encompasses the following tasks:- Identify sources of scrap material, material types relevant for space, and their possible use; down-selection of the most interesting cases (including economic, ecological and technical factors).- Develop processing route(s) for high-value material waste identified in the first task to transform into highquality raw materials for use as space hardware. This will most likely require dedicated alloy development to factor in what properties and quality can be realistically extracted from recycled materials.- Develop the advanced manufacturing process(es) for the use of "up-cycled" materials, considering theinfluence of impurities, potential development of detrimental phases, etc.- Test the produced material on a sample level (material characteristics, mechanical properties, etc.).- Design and manufacture a relevant spacedemonstrator part for subsequent testing to check compliance with relevant functional requirements.- Provide guidance on how to design components produced from recycled materials, seeking to identifypotential trade-offs between quality requirements, safety factors, cost and lead time.Deliverables: Breadboard, Report