How Barrelhand is Using Additive Manufacturing to Redefine Space Tools – Interview with Karel Bachand

Barrelhand Inc., a California-based technology company, is pushing the boundaries of space exploration through innovative use of 3D printing. Founded in 2014, Barrelhand initially focused on micro mechanics in watchmaking, using this platform to research advanced technologies such as metal 3D printing. In an interview with 3Druck.com, founder Karel Bachand describes the significant role that additive manufacturing will play in advancing space exploration.

The company gained attention with Project One, a watch that incorporated the world’s first 3D printed movement bridge, demonstrating the precision and complexity achievable with additive manufacturing.

Barrelhand’s focus has since shifted to developing tools designed for the challenges of space exploration. The company’s next major product, the Monolith, is a self-winding mechanical watch specifically designed to meet NASA’s standards for activities conducted by astronauts both inside and outside a spacecraft. It is specifically engineered to withstand the harsh environments astronauts encounter in space, while also addressing the psychological challenges astronauts face, such as the “overview effect,” a shift in perception often experienced during space missions.

The use of metal 3D printing allows Barrelhand to create highly durable, complex components that traditional manufacturing methods struggle to replicate. This capability is critical for space exploration, where equipment must be lightweight, robust, and capable of enduring extreme conditions. As humanity moves toward establishing permanent bases on the Moon and Mars, Barrelhand’s innovations, including the Monolith, represent a new frontier in the creation of both practical and psychological tools necessary for long-duration space missions.

Through its work, Barrelhand illustrates the transformative potential of 3D printing in space exploration, blending engineering and creativity to meet the demands of life beyond Earth.

Interview with Karel Bachand

In an interview with 3Druck.com, Karel Bachand, founder, CEO and chief engineer of Barrelhand, discusses the critical role additive manufacturing will play in space exploration, highlighting its potential to enable resource extraction and production directly on the Moon, reducing costs and environmental impact. He also highlights how additive manufacturing can facilitate repairs and part replacements in space, making it a critical technology for long-term missions and permanent space settlements.

How do you see the role of additive manufacturing in advancing space exploration and facilitating human travel beyond Earth?

The ability to additively manufacture in space will be critical to our planets expansion. Extracting, processing, and shipping materials from Earth to space is not only damaging to our home but is extremely resource intensive. for example the current market rate to send material to the International Space Station is about 20,000 USD per kg. cost per kg to the Moon is >1.1 million USD per kg. If we want to build permanent bases we will need to extract and process resources on site. The Moon is rich in natural resources and there are already companies developing methods of using the regolith (moon dust) as a concrete mixture to then print structures and bases. This simplifies the supply chain significantly and requires a one time equipment shipment to the moon which can allow for extremely rapid expansion and developments.

Another example is in servicing and repairs. For example with Monolith we will not have service centres in space, and shipping parts back and forth for repairs is not feasible in the long run. Earlier this year the first metal 3d printer was integrated into the International Space Station. As the technology matures and expands, this will allow us to digitally send and print parts directly on site for replacement.

What is the significance of Barrelhand’s involvement in lunar missions, and how does this influence its product innovation?

The Memory Disc project serves as a lunar time capsule, preserving humanity’s cultural heritage for future generations and potentially extraterrestrial life.  This non-profit initiative has been in development since 2021 and uses a new nano engraving technology called NanoFiche to etch art and languages into a nickel plate. The plate is then sealed in C-plane lab optic sapphire to preserve the content for millions of years like high tech hieroglyphs.

We just recently confirmed a new moon mission with Astrobotics scheduled to land a Memory Disc on the lunar surface no earlier than fall 2025 as part of the Griffin 1 lander payload. This will be our third Memory Disc on the moon following the successful Intuitive Machines landing in February and an official UNESCO collaboration project scheduled later this year. The latest Memory Disc will feature:

• 275 translations of the official UNESCO preamble preserving critically endangered languages

• 100 -120 renowned artworks from all art epochs and continents, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Goya, Vincent van Gogh, and Katsushika Hokusai

• original French edition of the children’s book “Le Petit Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

• Barrelhand’s version of the original Voyager I Golden Record

The Memory Disc is  also being integrated into space tools like Monolith, aimed at supporting the mental health of astronauts living and working in space. Prolonged missions in space can lead to a phenomena known as lost earth syndrome which can create feelings of isolation and disconnection from Earth. The Memory Disc helps mitigate these effects by helping astronauts feel part of a larger human narrative, and a connection to the cultural richness on our home planet within the sterile environments of space.

Additive manufacturing has evolved significantly in recent years. What specific innovations or technological breakthroughs do you consider most critical to the success of your mission and projects?

Oh so many! I remember in high school (~2010) we had a “state of the art” FDM printer that was printing plastics at around 0.3mm. What’s been super exciting to see in the last decade is the huge leaps in material selection and precision. Now with project Monolith we are able to print titaniums and novel aerospace alloys like scalmalloy at a resolution <.02mm. What personally gets me excited is that as the selection of materials and precision continues to increase, you will no longer need to post process parts and can hold incredible tolerances across the entire part. The idea of simply uploading your CAD file and a machine will print it in just about any material to the exact specs you want is incredible and will revolutionise manufacturing.

The accessibility of printing has also been a huge innovation on its own. That printer we had in high school was upwards of 100k USD and now any student can have one on their desk for less than the cost of some paper printers! This accessibility allowed me as a college student to 3D print dozens of prototypes for Project One for just a few hundred dollars. To micro machine one off parts with traditional CNC would have been incredibly cost prohibitive.

As for specific innovations, Ive been really interested in micro scale additive manufacturing with semiconductor processes. This process allows one to print monolithic assemblies in ceramics and metals at around a 2 micron resolution! This opens up huge possibilities for printing entire micro mechanical engines/timing devices or redundant analog systems for space exploration.

What do you think will be the long-term impact of additive manufacturing on space exploration and society in general in the coming years?

Additive Manufacturing has been revolutionary for our civilisation. It is the breakthrough that will allow us to develop permanent bases beyond our home planet, and establish fully decentralised supply chains on the moon and mars. I think the largest impact will be on the next generation of designers, engineers, and dreamers being able to single handedly bring to life anything they want. Access to machinery and large R&D budgets are no longer a limiting factor. With access to a laptop and a 100 dollar printer, anyone with an idea can now learn how to 3d model the most complex geometries and print/iterate on the design from the comfort of their own room.

Here you can find further information on Barrelhand and its projects.