German startup Orbital Matter 3-D prints 0.5-meter beam aboard Replicator-2
Technology
German startup Orbital Matter just pulled off a space first: they 3-D printed a solid one-half-meter beam while orbiting Earth, using their Replicator-2 satellite.
It's the first time a free-flying spacecraft has printed something like this in orbit, hinting at new ways to build big structures directly in space.
Orbital Matter deployed solar array
Printing parts in space could make assembling satellites and managing power or heat way easier.
Orbital Matter teamed up with the European Space Agency and Thales Alenia for this mission.
Even though their printer had some issues, they still managed to deploy a solar array, proving the idea works.
The company, launched in 2022, is now aiming for bigger printers by 2028 and hopes to roll out huge solar arrays on satellites by 2030.