TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF SPACECRAFT RESTORATION USING THE ADDITIVE ELECTRON-BEAM DEPOSITION METHOD
Heading:
| Ternovyi, YH, 1Piskun, NV, 1Zakorko, VO, Fedorchuk, VYE, 1Shulym, VF, 1Hlushak, SO, Palamarchuk, TY, Fedchenko, VV 1E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine |
| Space Sci. & Technol. 2026, 32 ;(2):81-98 |
| https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2026.02.081 |
| Publication Language: Українська |
Abstract: Th e article considers the technological features of restoring structural elements of spacecraft using the Electron Beam Additive
Manufacturing (EBAM) method, which belongs to the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) class of technologies. Th e method involves feeding a fi ller wire (wire-feed) under deep-vacuum conditions that are naturally compatible with the environment of outer space. The relevance of repair and refurbishment operations in orbit and during the operation of future lunar infrastructures is
demonstrated, considering the infl uence of micrometeoroids and orbital debris, radiation, thermal cycling, and mechanical loads. Particular attention is given to the advantages of electron-beam deposition, which is inherently suited to vacuum environments and enables precise, layer-by-layer formation of metallic structures. Experimental studies were carried out using upgraded equipment of the E. O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, including the OB-1469 vacuum test facility, the PL-104 electron-beam gun equipped with a periodic beam defl ection system, and a wire-feeding mechanism for fi ller wire made of aluminum alloy 5456. Th e infl uence of various types and frequencies of electron-beam scanning trajectories on the geometry and quality of the deposited beads was investigated. Optimal technological parameters were determined for the formation of single- and multi-layer structures, providing stable deposition, uniform bead geometry, and a minimal heat-aff ected zone. Th e obtained results confi rm the feasibility and prospects of electron-beam additive technologies for in-situ restoration and manufacturing of spacecraft components directly in outer space. |
| Keywords: space environment; spacecraft ; additive electron-beam deposition; structural restoration; microgravity; aluminum alloys; periodic beam defl ection; fi ller wire; macro- and microstructures; porosity; chemical composition |
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