Case Study: NASA achieves lightweight, rugged rover components for human exploration with Stratasys FDM 3D Printing

NASA's Human-Supporting Rover has FDM Parts

NASA needed a lightweight, highly durable, and rapidly customizable vehicle to support human exploration testing — a pressurized rover sized like a Hummer that must survive extreme desert (and eventually space/Martian) conditions. To meet these demands, NASA worked with Stratasys, using production-grade Stratasys 3D printers and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology to produce mission‑ready components and rapid prototypes.

Stratasys printed roughly 70 FDM parts for the rover — including flame‑retardant vents and housings, camera mounts, large pod doors, a front bumper and custom fixtures — using ABS, PCABS and polycarbonate. FDM delivered complex, durable end‑use parts and fast design iterations that validated form, fit and function before committing to expensive tooling, enabling shorter lead times and lighter, stronger components for Desert RATS testing while helping NASA avoid costly machining and tooling delays.

NASA

Chris Chapman

Test Engineer