scope:

This NASA Technical Standard is directed toward additive manufacturing (AM) processes used in the design, fabrication, and testing of space program flight hardware for NASA, including, but not limited to, crewed, non-crewed, robotic, launch vehicle, lander, and spacecraft program/project hardware elements. All crewed spaceflight hardware is covered by the requirements of this document, including vendor-designed, off-the-shelf, and vendor-furnished items. Guidance and recommendations for tailoring this NASA Technical Standard for NASA non-crewed missions, such as robotic missions (spacecraft and launch vehicles), are provided in Appendix B. This NASA Technical Standard is also intended to cover in-space AM operations; however, significant tailoring of these requirements is expected.

AM parts used in interfacing ground support equipment (GSE) or test equipment are covered by the requirements of this NASA Technical Standard only to the extent required to prevent damage to or contamination of spaceflight hardware.

Purpose

The purpose of this NASA Technical Standard is to define the minimum requirements for AM processes used for spaceflight systems, provide guidance and recommendations for tailoring this NASA Technical Standard for NASA non-crewed missions, and cover in-space AM operations.

Applicability

This NASA Technical Standard is approved for use by NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers and facilities, and applicable technical requirements may be cited in contract, program, and other Agency documents. It may also apply to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (a Federally Funded Research And Development Center [FFRDC]), other contractors, recipients of grants and cooperative agreements, and parties to other agreements only to the extent specified or referenced in applicable contracts, grants, or agreements.

Verifiable requirement statements are designated by the acronym "AMR" (Additive Manufacturing Requirement), numbered, and indicated by the word "shall"; this NASA Technical Standard contains 115 requirements. Explanatory or guidance text and rationales for requirements are indicated in italics beginning in section 4 of this NASA Technical Standard. To facilitate requirements selection by NASA programs and projects, a Requirements Compliance Matrix is provided in Appendix A.