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UC Berkeley — SpaceCAL (Computed Axial Lithography)

FO Project: 106639 — Computed Axial Lithography for volumetric AM under low gravity
Period: 2021-02-01 – 2025-05-31
TRL: 4→7
Lead Org: UC Berkeley (PI: Hayden Taylor; co-Is Tracie Prater [NASA Marshall], Taylor Waddell, Carlos Chang)
Views: 2,995

Summary

SpaceCAL (Space Computed Axial Lithography) is volumetric 3D printing — the entire part forms simultaneously in a spinning vial of photo-resin, unlike layer-by-layer techniques. In microgravity, low-viscosity resins that are difficult to print in 1g prove easier to work with, because buoyancy-driven convection disappears. FO parabolic flights (2022-2023) produced 120+ parts per flight session in 10-24 seconds each. A Virgin Galactic suborbital flight (June 2024, VSS Unity) autonomously printed and post-processed parts in space. The technology is now in the ISS bioprinting pipeline via LLNL/Space Tango (NASA InSPA program).

Flight History

Date Platform What happened
May 9, 2022 Parabolic (Zero-G G-Force One) 120+ 3D parts manufactured in microgravity; parts took 10-24 seconds each; showed better geometric fidelity than 1g
Nov 15, 2022 Parabolic (Zero-G G-Force One) Higher quality parts demonstrated; post-processing in microgravity validated
Jun 8, 2024 Virgin Galactic 07 (VSS Unity) — suborbital spaceflight Autonomously printed and post-processed 4 parts (O-rings, Benchy, space shuttle models) in 140 seconds at ~80 km altitude; "SpaceCAL has successfully printed and post-processed multiple parts in space!"

Publication: Acta Astronautica (2023, DOI: S0094576523003478) — "Use of volumetric additive manufacturing as an in-space manufacturing technology." Documents the parabolic flight results and microgravity advantages.

Why Microgravity Helps

Key finding: Low-viscosity resins (0.12 Pa-s) print with less geometric distortion in microgravity than in 1g. The reason: buoyancy-driven convection in the resin vat disappears in weightlessness, eliminating a major source of printing artifacts. This is the opposite of most manufacturing technologies — SpaceCAL is a process where the space environment is a feature, not a challenge.

Downstream Pipeline

LLNL/Space Tango — ISS Bioprinting (InSPA)

  • NASA's InSPA (In-Space Production Applications) program awarded ~$21M total across 8 projects in April 2022
  • One award: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) + Space Tango (Lexington, KY) — the "Replicator" — ISS-adapted CAL for printing cartilage tissue in microgravity
  • LLNL PI: Maxim Shusteff (LLNL director of bioprinting, invented CAL alongside Taylor)
  • Goal: print organ tissue in space, return to Earth for transplant (zero-g improves bioprint quality)
  • This is explicitly downstream of the Berkeley CAL invention — same core technology, ISS-adapted platform

Berkeley Air & Space Center (Moffett Field)

  • UC Berkeley Air & Space Center at Moffett Field (36-acre development) explicitly positions SpaceCAL as a commercialization candidate
  • Five Masters of Engineering students (Fung Institute) working on SpaceCAL capstone
  • No confirmed startup spinoff or external license as of April 2026

NASA Marshall / Tracie Prater

  • Co-I Prater is NASA Marshall's in-space manufacturing lead
  • This creates a direct pipeline from the Berkeley research to NASA's ISM program

Outcome Category

Active Maturation → ISS Pipeline (InSPA)

The downstream path runs through LLNL/Space Tango (ISS bioprinting) rather than direct mission infusion. SpaceCAL is not yet commercial — but the InSPA award signals NASA has already funded an ISS adaptation. Co-I Prater's role bridges Berkeley R&D to NASA Marshall's production programs.

For crew health applications (dental crowns, surgical closures, organ patches), the team has stated its next step is developing a single crew-health object in collaboration with NASA.

Confidence

  • Flight facts: confirmed — Virgin Galactic 07 coverage from Berkeley Engineering News, Voxel Matters, NASA FO technology page
  • LLNL/Space Tango ISS program: confirmed — LLNL press release, NASA InSPA program announcement
  • Commercial spinoff/license: none confirmed as of April 2026

Key Sources