Polish Company Achieves First 3D Printing in Open Space

Space Science & Technology | 12th November 2026

Polish space technology company Orbital Matter has successfully manufactured a structural component directly in the vacuum of space, marking an important advance in orbital construction technology.

The demonstration, announced by the European Space Agency on 11 November, took place aboard the company's Replicator 2 satellite. A miniature 3D printer produced a hollow boom approximately 32.5 centimetres long in just 30 minutes.

Unlike previous orbital manufacturing experiments conducted inside controlled spacecraft environments, the component was printed directly in open space, exposing the process to vacuum and changing temperatures.

The printer used a liquid resin that hardens when exposed to light, requiring considerably less energy than conventional heated manufacturing processes.

The resulting structure also pushed open a folded solar panel, demonstrating how components manufactured in orbit could perform practical spacecraft functions.

Orbital Matter reported that the printed boom remained consistent despite the resin having been stored aboard the satellite for three months before the experiment.

The technology remains experimental. Engineers must still establish how printed structures withstand prolonged exposure to radiation, temperature changes and mechanical stresses.

However, manufacturing components directly in orbit could eventually allow satellites to deploy larger antennas, support structures and other equipment without launching them fully assembled from Earth.

The successful demonstration provides European engineers with new evidence that spacecraft structures can be manufactured in the space environment itself, potentially reducing some of the limitations imposed by conventional rocket launches.