German-Polish startup Orbital Matter says its Replicator 2 satellite 3D-printed a rigid beam roughly half a meter long in the open vacuum of low Earth orbit. Launched on July 7, 2026, the satellite carried four printers that extrude resin in coils and harden it with ultraviolet light. Two printers were assigned to a flexible solar-array demonstration; one failed after an anomaly, but the boom made by the other deployed the array. The test is intended to support larger in-space structures such as solar arrays, antennas, radiators and hardware for orbital data centers. Orbital Matter is targeting a 2028 demonstration with a larger printer and satellite, aiming to deploy a solar array producing 5 kilowatts.
Why it matters
Manufacturing structural elements after launch could reduce the dependence on rocket-fairing dimensions and avoid some of the hinges, latches and deployment mechanisms used by large folded spacecraft structures. The result is an early proof of operation in the open space environment, not yet a demonstration of large-scale construction, and the printer failure underscores the remaining reliability challenges.
Key points
- Replicator 2 printed a rigid beam approximately half a meter long in the open vacuum of orbit.
- The satellite launched on July 7, 2026, with four 3D printers aboard a SpaceX rideshare mission.
- Orbital Matter says booms as long as 100 meters may be feasible, but that remains a future capability rather than a demonstrated result.
- A follow-up mission using a larger printer and satellite is planned for 2028.
- The company hopes that mission will deploy a solar array capable of generating 5 kW.
Based on reporting by The original announcement and TechCrunch.
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