ISSEM: A Proposed Manufacturing Methodology for Modular Orbital Construction

Working Draft v1, not peer reviewed.The construction of large spacecraft and orbital structures is constrained by the dimensions, mass, and environmental requirements associated with launching structural components from Earth. Conventional in-space assembly (ISA) relies on transporting separately manufactured structural members into orbit, where they are connected to form larger structures. This paper proposes an alternative manufacturing methodology, In-Space Segment Molding (ISSEM), in which reusable molds and a liquid structural feedstock are transported into orbit and used to form structural segments directly in the space environment. Once cured, these segments can be removed from their molds, inspected, and joined through in-space assembly to construct larger modular structures.