# How Boeing 3D Prints Strong Lightweight Spacecraft Panels

> A method for printing a single-piece, high-strength spacecraft panel using 3D printing to create complex internal trusses that eliminate the need for bolts or welds.

- **Patent:** US 11794927
- **Original title:** Additively manufactured spacecraft panel
- **Owner:** Boeing Co
- **Granted:** 2023
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 0
- **Field:** aerospace, mechanical, materials

## What it does

This patent describes a way to 3D print a spacecraft panel as one single, solid piece. Instead of building a panel from separate sheets and beams, the printer creates two outer skins with stiffening grids and connects them with a complex internal truss structure. Because it is printed as a monolithic unit, the panel has no joints, seams, welds, or fasteners. This design allows for variable density in the internal core, meaning engineers can make parts of the panel stronger or lighter depending on where they are located on the spacecraft.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover panels built by traditional assembly methods like riveting, welding, or bolting parts together.
- Does not cover panels that are not produced via additive manufacturing (3D printing).
- Does not cover structures where the truss members intersect each other, as the claim specifically requires non-intersecting members.
- Does not cover panels that are not formed as a single monolithic unit.

## The clever bit

The innovation lies in printing the entire panel—skins and internal truss—as a single monolithic unit where the truss nodes align perfectly with the intersections of the surface stiffeners, all without any internal seams or joints.

## Real-world examples

1. Satellite chassis structural panels
2. Spacecraft radiation shielding components
3. Lightweight aerospace load-bearing walls

## Why it matters

In space travel, every gram of weight is extremely expensive to launch. By replacing heavy mechanical fasteners and joints with a single, optimized 3D-printed structure, Boeing can reduce the mass of spacecraft components while maintaining structural integrity. This approach represents a shift toward 'part consolidation,' where complex assemblies are reduced to a single printed part, simplifying supply chains and reducing failure points.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Boeing 3D Prints Strong Lightweight Spacecraft Panels cover?

A method for printing a single-piece, high-strength spacecraft panel using 3D printing to create complex internal trusses that eliminate the need for bolts or welds.

### Who owns patent US 11794927?

Boeing Co owns this patent, granted in 2023.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent is expected to expire on October 24, 2043, when the invention enters the public domain.

### What problem does this patent solve?

In space travel, every gram of weight is extremely expensive to launch. By replacing heavy mechanical fasteners and joints with a single, optimized 3D-printed structure, Boeing can reduce the mass of spacecraft components while maintaining structural integrity. This approach represents a shift toward 'part consolidation,' where complex assemblies are reduced to a single printed part, simplifying supply chains and reducing failure points.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover panels built by traditional assembly methods like riveting, welding, or bolting parts together.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11794927/starship-life-support-system

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US11794927

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._