---
title: "NASA’s Using a Giant Robot to Print Carbon Fiber Spaceship Parts"
description: "NASA has assembled one of the largest American manufacturing robots in Huntsville, Alabama. The robot, called Titan, will help NASA build composite parts for space vehicles."
date: "2015-08-06"
modified: "2015-08-13"
authors:
  - name: "Kif Leswing"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kif_leswing"
url: "https://futurism.com/nasa-has-a-giant-3d-printing-machine-for-making-spacecraft-parts"
categories:
  - "NASA"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "robotics"
  - "space"
---

# NASA’s Using a Giant Robot to Print Carbon Fiber Spaceship Parts

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/0fd9550.jpg>)

- The robot will help "develop low-cost and high-speed manufacturing processes for making large composite rocket structures," according to Preston Jones, who is a deputy director at Nasa's Marshall Space Flight Center.
- Composite rocket structures might be a good fit for space vehicles that could carry humans on missions to Mars, according to Jones. In fact, that's its first project -- experimenting with parts for a heavy-lift rocket for deep space missions. Composite materials are being used because payload is a major consideration on long trips.
- The robot travels up and down a 40 foot long track. Its head is at the end of a 21-foot arm and it's armed with 16 spools of composite fiber tape that it lays down much like a 3D printer. The robot was manufactured by Washington-based company Electroimpact.

[![fd10828](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/fd10828-1024x684.jpg>)](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/fd10828.jpg>)

[![0fd9528](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/0fd9528-1024x684.jpg>)](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/0fd9528.jpg>)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD41k9IjnS0

https://youtu.be/NJGOi_2J2bY