Orbital Matter 3D-prints rigid beam in orbit
German startup Orbital Matter has successfully 3D-printed a rigid, half-meter-long beam in space. The feat marks the first time a free-flying spacecraft has manufactured a rigid structure in a vacuum.
German aerospace startup Orbital Matter has successfully performed 3D printing in orbit. The company’s Replicator-2 satellite, launched via a SpaceX rideshare mission earlier this year, utilized four onboard 3D printers to extrude and UV-cure a custom resin into a rigid, cylindrical beam.
This technology addresses a fundamental constraint in aerospace engineering: the size of payloads is restricted by the dimensions of rocket fairings. Currently, large space structures like solar arrays and telescope mirrors must be folded and deployed, which adds significant complexity and mechanical risk. By manufacturing components on-site, Orbital Matter aims to bypass these launch volume limitations.
Jakub Stojek, CEO of Orbital Matter, noted that the mission proves the feasibility of constructing large-scale arrays directly in space. The project was developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency and aerospace manufacturer Thales Alenia.
The potential for in-space construction has broader implications for the development of orbital infrastructure, such as high-capacity data centers. These facilities require significant surface area for energy generation and thermal management, both of which are easier to achieve if structures are built in the space environment rather than packed for launch.