Lockheed Martin Antero 840CN03 FDM Aerospace Parts Case Study
Download the case-study PDF to review the application context, workflow decisions, and implementation considerations.
Key Takeaways
- Repeatable Aerospace Production: The source frames additive manufacturing around Orion mission repeatability, where tested parts can support future capsules when the baseline design remains controlled.
- ESD PEKK Material Route: Antero 840CN03 is presented as a PEKK-based FDM material with ESD capability, low outgassing and structural polymer performance for the described spacecraft application.
- Large Functional Part Context: The case study centers on a one-meter docking-hatch cover assembled from six printed sections, with related spacecraft ducting and bracket applications identified as potential candidates.
Executive Summary
Deep-space spacecraft programs put unusual pressure on manufacturing repeatability. Each Orion mission requires a newly constructed capsule, but the value of the program depends on reducing avoidable design changes between missions once a part has been tested and approved for use. For Lockheed Martin Space, the question was not simply whether polymer additive manufacturing could make an aerospace component. The more important question was whether the process, material behavior and build repeatability could support a production route with enough confidence for successive spacecraft.
The source case study places that question in the context of NASA's Orion program, where additive manufacturing had already moved beyond isolated prototypes. The document states that EM-1 carried more than 100 3D printed parts and describes Lockheed Martin Space's additive manufacturing lab, including its Stratasys Fortus 900mc for larger parts and higher thermal capability. That production context matters for buyers because it shows additive manufacturing being assessed as part of a controlled aerospace workflow, not as a one-off print exercise.
Material selection is the central technical issue. The case study contrasts established ULTEM 9085 use in flight components with the additional requirement for electrostatic dissipative behavior in deep-space applications. Antero ESD, a PEKK-based Stratasys material, is presented as the route that gave Lockheed Martin the structural polymer performance, low-outgassing properties and ESD capability required for the application described in the source. The full case study explains how that material choice affects post-processing, part consistency and the confidence to consider families of related parts rather than a single component.
For technical and procurement teams, the useful lesson is the discipline behind the decision. The case study links machine capability, material properties, testing expectations, part size, functional requirements and mission repeatability. It gives enough detail to evaluate why FDM with Antero 840CN03 was relevant to the Orion docking-hatch application, while leaving the full part story, implementation context and source quotations for the downloadable case study.