Method and system for vacuum vapor deposition of functional materials in space

A method for vacuum vapor deposition of a deposition material upon a substrate in a space environment to form a functional material on the substrate comprising:

• disposing a substrate on a substrate support structure on a surface of a planetary body outside of any chamber in the space environment;
• providing a depositor for the deposition material;
• providing an energy source associated with the depositor and exciting the deposition material to form a vapor of the deposition material;
• providing a moveable elongate member, wherein the moveable elongated member is configured to support flow of at least electrical power for antennas, radars, reflectors, and photovoltaic power systems, electron guns for forming an electron beams, and support of fluid transfer for cooling, for reagents and other fluids, and for gases for propulsion, for transfer, and for a precursor gas feed system, and wherein the elongate member is a robotic arm system, associated with the depositor;
• and
• moving the depositor and the elongate member to pass over the substrate to direct the vapor of the deposition material to flow to the substrate to form a functional material on the substrate.

A system for vacuum vapor deposition of a deposition material upon a substrate in a space environment, comprising:

• a substrate support structure on a surface of a planetary body outside of any chamber in the space environment;
• a depositor for the deposition material;
• an energy source associated with the depositor to excite the deposition material to form a vapor of the deposition material;
• and
• the substrate support structure includes a moveable elongate member associated with the substrate, wherein the moveable elongated member is configured to support flow of at least electrical power for antennas, radars, reflectors, and photovoltaic power systems, electron guns for forming an electron beams, and support of fluid transfer for cooling, for reagents and other fluids, and for gases for propulsion, for transfer, and for a precursor gas feed system, and wherein the elongate member is a robotic arm system, to move the substrate over the depositor, whereby the vapor of deposition material from the depositor may flow from the depositor to the substrate to coat the substrate with the deposition material.

A method for vacuum vapor deposition of a deposition material upon a substrate in a space environment to form a functional material on the substrate comprising:

• providing a substrate on a surface of a planetary body outside of any chamber in the space environment;
• providing a depositor for the deposition material;
• providing an energy source associated with the depositor and exciting the deposition material to form a vapor of the deposition material;
• providing a moveable elongate member, associated with the substrate, wherein the moveable elongated member is configured to support flow of at least electrical power for antennas, radars, reflectors, and photovoltaic power systems, electron guns for forming an electron beams, and support of fluid transfer for cooling, for reagents and other fluids, and for gases for propulsion, for transfer, and for a precursor gas feed system, and wherein the elongate member is a robotic arm system;
• and
• moving the substrate and the elongate member to pass over the depositor to direct the vapor of the deposition material to flow to the substrate to form a functional material on the substrate.

A method for vacuum vapor deposition of a deposition material upon a substrate in a space environment to join a first structural element to a second structural element comprising:

• disposing a substrate in a substrate support structure on a surface of a planetary body outside of any chamber in the space environment, wherein the substrate is a joint between the first and second structural members;
• providing a depositor for the deposition material;
• providing an energy source associated with the depositor and exciting the deposition material to form a vapor of the deposition material;
• providing a moveable elongate member, associated with the depositor, wherein the moveable elongated member is configured to support flow of at least electrical power for antennas, radars, reflectors, and photovoltaic power systems, electron guns for forming an electron beams, and support of fluid transfer for cooling, for reagents and other fluids, and for gases for propulsion, for transfer, and for a precursor gas feed system, and wherein the moveable elongate member is a robotic arm;
• and
• moving the depositor and the elongate member to pass over the substrate to direct the vapor of the deposition material to flow to the substrate to join the first and second structural elements to each other.