| 2026 №05 (07) |
DOI of Article 10.37434/as2026.05.08 |
2026 №05 (09) |
"Avtomatychne Zvaryuvannya" (Automatic Welding), #5, 2026, pp. 64-71
Prospects for using electron beam technologies to restore metal structures in space (Review)
V.O. Zakorko
, N.V. Piskun
E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine
11 Kazymyr Malevych Str., 03150, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Е-mail: nadamova54@gmail.com
The article systematizes the current concepts concerning the application of electron beam technologies for repair restoration and layer-by-layer formation of metal structures in the space environment. The specific features of electron beam heating and additive formation of materials in open space are considered. The main advantages of electron beam technologies for the repair of space structures are summarized, including high energy concentration, localized thermal action and operation in vacuum. It is shown that wire-aissted electron beam layer-by-layer formation processes, which belong to directed energy deposition (DED), are among the most promising approaches to space manufacturing owing to their energy concentration, localized heat input, natural compatibility with vacuum and suitability for robotic control. The effects of high vacuum, microgravity, thermal cycling, radiation environment and vibrations on heat and mass transfer, molten pool formation, material structure and defect formation are analyzed. Requirements for materials, electron beam equipment, wire-feed systems, power supply, machine vision and closed-loop process control are summarized. Particular attention is paid to the distinction between historically verified welding experiments in space, current orbital demonstrations of metal additive manufacturing and the prospects for development of full-scale electron beam repair systems. Key research problems are identified: stabilization of the molten pool in microgravity, repeatability of layer geometry, reduction of porosity and cracking, miniaturization of equipment, radiation and electromagnetic compatibility, and integration of nondestructive testing into an autonomous technological cycle. 22 Ref., 1 Tabl.
Keywords: electron beam technologies, electron beam welding, directed energy deposition, layer-by-layer formation, structure restoration, space manufacturing, microgravity, robotic repair
Received: 08.06.2026
Received in revised form: 18.09.2026
Accepted: 30.09.2026
Posted online: 20.10.2026
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This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC).
Suggested Citation
V.O. Zakorko, N.V. Piskun (2026) Prospects for using electron beam technologies to restore metal structures in space (Review). Automatic Welding, 05, 64-71. https://doi.org/10.37434/as2026.05.08Advertising in this issue:
