3D-printed metallic space fabric. This space fabric was created using 3D printing techniques that add different functionality to each side of the material. Because the material is foldable, its shape can change quickly, with applications to large antennas and other deployable devices. Such space fabrics have four essential functions: reflectivity, passive heat management, foldability and tensile strength. One side of the fabric reflects light, while the other absorbs it, acting as a means of thermal control. Photographed in 2017, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, USA. |