Science & Tech · Space · 6 hrs ago
Orbital Matter 3D-prints a rigid beam in orbit
German startup Orbital Matter printed a rigid beam in orbit using a 3D printer aboard its Replicator 2 satellite.
The beam was half a meter long and made from a custom plastic resin cured with ultraviolet light.
The satellite launched this summer on a SpaceX rideshare mission with four printers onboard.
Today, large structures such as solar arrays are folded for launch and unfolded in space, a process that can be difficult to engineer.
Building structures in orbit could help spacecraft carry larger solar arrays and manage the heat produced by more powerful equipment, including possible orbital data centers.
One printer failed, but a printed boom successfully deployed a flexible solar array, providing a proof of concept for in-orbit construction.
Orbital Matter plans another demonstration in 2028, aiming to test a larger printer and deploy a solar array that can generate 5 kilowatts of power.
The company hopes this will lead to much larger solar arrays, with deployments of more than 100 kilowatts per wing targeted by 2030.
Orbital Matter says its Replicator 2 satellite 3D-printed a rigid beam about half a meter long in orbit.
The German startup describes the achievement as a first for a free-flying spacecraft in orbit.
The beam was made from custom plastic material using printers that extrude resin and cure it with ultraviolet light.
The demonstration is intended to help make it possible to build larger structures, including solar arrays, in space.
Orbital Matter plans another demonstration mission in 2028 with a larger printer and a solar array designed to generate 5 kilowatts of power.
- Who
- German startup Orbital Matter carried out the demonstration using its Replicator 2 satellite.
- What
- The satellite 3D-printed a rigid beam about half a meter long in orbit.
- When
- The demonstration was reported on November 3, 2026. The satellite launched this summer.
- Where
- In orbit, aboard the free-flying Replicator 2 satellite.
- Why
- The demonstration is a step toward constructing larger structures in space, including solar arrays.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Orbital Matter was co-founded by Robert Ihnatisin and Jakub Stojek.
Replicator 2 launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission with four 3D printers onboard.
TechCrunch reported that Replicator 2 had 3D-printed a half-meter-long beam in orbit.
Orbital Matter plans a demonstration mission with a larger printer and a solar array designed to generate 5 kilowatts of power.
- Satellite
- Replicator 2
- Beam length
- About half a meter
- Printers onboard
- 4
- Next demonstration
- Scheduled for launch in 2028
- Planned solar array output
- 5 kilowatts
What people are saying
Replicator 2 is the first proof that we can simply build the array in space, at whatever size the mission demands.
That’s why we put so many printers on this single satellite. We preferred to learn in orbit and adapt the software as needed rather than waste years testing every possibility on the ground.