Orbital Matter 3D Prints First Rigid Beam in Space with Replicator-2 Satellite
This article reports a technology milestone, not a security incident: German startup Orbital Matter successfully 3D printed a half-meter rigid beam in the vacuum of space using its Replicator-2 satellite, launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission. The satellite carried four onboard 3D printers extruding UV-cured resin coils into cylindrical structural beams, a first for a free-flying spacecraft. Despite an anomaly causing one printer to fail, the deployed boom successfully extended a flexible solar array, validating the concept. The company is partnering with the European Space Agency and Thales Alenia and plans a larger 2028 demonstration mission targeting 5 kW solar arrays, with ambitions for 100+ kW wings by 2030.
Linha do tempo
-
Orbital Matter 3D Prints First Rigid Beam in Space with Replicator-2 Satellite
ler a análise desta fonte ocultar
This article reports a technology milestone, not a security incident: German startup Orbital Matter successfully 3D printed a half-meter rigid beam in the vacuum of space using its Replicator-2 satellite, launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission. The satellite carried four onboard 3D printers extruding UV-cured resin coils into cylindrical structural beams, a first for a free-flying spacecraft. Despite an anomaly causing one printer to fail, the deployed boom successfully extended a flexible solar array, validating the concept. The company is partnering with the European Space Agency and Thales Alenia and plans a larger 2028 demonstration mission targeting 5 kW solar arrays, with ambitions for 100+ kW wings by 2030.