Nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, the global supply chain is still struggling to recover. Specialty industries like space travel were particularly hard hit, as the impossibility of obtaining spare rocket parts in a timely manner became painfully evident.
The Rise of 3D Printing as a Solution
As industries began taking a long, hard look at additive manufacturing as a solution to these woes, they discovered that it lacks in scale but makes up for both creating specialty parts and decentralizing the manufacturing industry. This highly concentrated industry had previously relied on a handful of locations across the globe.
A Personal Experience with the Global Pandemic
Solideon co-founder and CEO Oluseun Taiwo saw firsthand the havoc such global events can wreak on the space industry. He was employed as a propulsion engineer in the additive manufacturing division of Virgin Orbit in May 2020, when the company failed to launch its LauncherOne rocket. The consequences were dire: "What I saw at that time was, if we had a localized way to manufacture and didn’t have to rely on the global supply chain during a global pandemic, the company would have done better," Taiwo tells TechCrunch.
A Shift in Perspective
There was a harsh reality to confront: Virgin Orbit’s business model required building 30 rockets a year, but they were only able to produce three. This was never good enough. "What we really do is build robots for deployable microfactories that help 3D-print and assemble large aerospace structures and products," says Taiwo.
Decentralizing Manufacturing
The reason this matters is that it allows for the decentralization of manufacturing, enabling the creation of entire products without human intervention in the loop. Solideon’s long-term goal is to achieve this anywhere in the solar system at any point. However, manufacturing for space in space is still a ways off.
Focusing on Immediate-Term Problems
In the meantime, the company is focused on solving more immediate-term problems, with an eye on defense contracts. Taiwo notes that the U.S. Defense Department is currently auditing its own supply chain, anticipating further disruption – be it a natural disaster or global conflict.
A Partnership with the Navy
"The short term is to go help them solve that problem," says Taiwo. "The medium term that we’re more focused on is the smaller, autonomous, attributable systems. That’s where we’re seeing the biggest play for technology like this."
Building Microfactories for Defense
Taiwo explains that building microfactories that are very mobile and operate close to where the changing landscape of conflict is, will be crucial in adapting to these situations.
Solideon’s Ambitions
Solideon presented onstage today as part of the Startup Battlefield 20 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. The Bay Area-based rocket-printing service has raised $6.5 million in funding to date.
A Decentralized Approach to Manufacturing
Taiwo emphasizes that what they really do is build robots for deployable microfactories that help 3D-print and assemble large aerospace structures and products. This decentralized approach allows for the creation of entire products without human intervention in the loop.
The Future of Space Manufacturing
"The reason that matters is you can decentralize manufacturing and actually get closer to building an entire product without any human intervention in the loop," says Taiwo. "Our long-term goal is to do that anywhere in the solar system at any point."
However, manufacturing for space in space is still a ways off.
Immediate-Term Goals
In the meantime, Solideon is focused on solving more immediate-term problems, with an eye on defense contracts. Taiwo notes that the U.S. Defense Department is currently auditing its own supply chain, anticipating further disruption – be it a natural disaster or global conflict.
Conclusion
The global supply chain still hasn’t fully recovered from COVID-19. However, industries are looking to additive manufacturing as a solution, and Solideon is at the forefront of this movement. By decentralizing manufacturing, they aim to create entire products without human intervention in the loop, eventually achieving their long-term goal of manufacturing for space in space.
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