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From 3D printed antennas rising 100,000 feet above Earth to futuristic orbital factories and metal parts made in space, 3D printing is reshaping how we build for space. In three major breakthroughs, NASA, the University of Glasgow, and the European Space Agency (ESA) prove that additive manufacturing (AM) is a gateway to the next era of space exploration. Clearly, AM is not just a tool but an essential part of the future of off-world manufacturing.
NASA’s latest experiment has demonstrated that 3D printed antennas could play a key role in future science missions. Engineers from the Near Space Network and Goddard Space Flight Center designed and built a 3D printed magneto-electric dipole antenna in just three months, leveraging Fortify’s advanced AM technology.
Field testing was performed at NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, prior to liftoff. Image courtesy of NASA/Peter Moschetti.
Engineers from the Near Space Network and Goddard Space Flight Center designed and built a 3D printed magneto-electric dipole antenna in just three months. This antenna was designed for stable and reliable signal transmission using Fortify’s composite 3D printing technology. Based in Boston, Fortify specializes in printing materials with fine-tuned microstructures, improving the antenna’s performance.
Unlike traditional manufacturing methods, which can take months to develop and fine-tune, this antenna was printed in hours using a ceramic-filled polymer with low electrical resistance.
Once completed, the antenna underwent rigorous testing in NASA’s anechoic chamber, one of the quietest places on Earth, designed to eliminate electromagnetic interference. Engineers then took it to Texas, where it was mounted on a weather balloon and launched 100,000 feet into the sky.
NASA Goddard's anechoic chamber eliminates echoes and reflections of electromagnetic waves to simulate the relative 'œquiet' of space. Image courtesy of NASA/Peter Moschetti
The goal was to test its ability to send and receive signals compared to a conventional satellite antenna, and the results were exactly what NASA had hoped for. Not only did the 3D printed antenna perform well under extreme conditions, but the experiment also proved that rapid prototyping could create high-performance communication tools tailored to mission specifications. As NASA looks for cheaper and more flexible ways to support space missions, 3D printing is becoming more important than ever.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, researchers at the University of Glasgow are tackling one of space manufacturing’s biggest hurdles: how to 3D print in zero gravity. Led by Space Technology Lecturer Gilles Bailet, a team at the James Watt School of Engineering has secured a patent for a new system designed to function in the vacuum of space. Instead of using traditional filament-based 3D printing, Bailet’s team developed a granular material capable of being fed to a printer nozzle reliably in low gravity.
To test their prototype, the team conducted experiments aboard a parabolic flight, a research plane that simulates weightlessness through sharp ascents and rapid descents. During these 22-second bursts of microgravity, the team monitored how the printer functioned under real space-like conditions, and the results were promising.
Dr Gilles Bailet with his prototype 3D printing technology aboard the “vomit comet.” Image courtesy of the University of Glasgow.
If successful in future tests, this technology could pave the way for true orbital manufacturing. Instead of launching fully assembled satellites and equipment into space'”where weight and size constraints are significant'”future missions could deploy modular 3D printers to build structures on demand. This could lead to the in-orbit production of solar reflectors for carbon-free energy transmission, communications antennas, and even pharmaceutical research stations for purer drug production.
'œCurrently, everything that goes into Earth's orbit is built on the surface and sent into space on rockets. They have tightly limited mass and volumes and can shake themselves to pieces during launch when mechanical constraints are breached, destroying expensive cargo in the process,' Bailet explains. 'œIf, instead, we could place fabricators in space to build structures on demand, we would be freed from those payload restrictions. In turn, that could pave the way to creating much more ambitious, less resource-intensive projects, with systems optimized for their mission and not for the constraints of rocket launches.
With their prototype successfully tested in microgravity, the team is now seeking funding for an in-space demonstration and working with the UK Space Agency to ensure their technology aligns with space debris mitigation strategies.
For the first time in history, a metal part 3D printed in space has returned to Earth. The sample, created in ESA’s Metal 3D Printer aboard the International Space Station (ISS), landed in the Netherlands at ESA’s technical hub (ESTEC), which will undergo rigorous testing.
Developed by Airbus and its partners, the metal printer was installed in the Columbus module in January 2024 by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen during his Huginn mission. By June, it successfully printed its first structure'”a curved line shaped like an “S.” Over the summer, the printer produced its first full metal sample, followed by a second in December.
Now back on Earth, the first sample will be tested in ESTEC’s Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory, where scientists will compare it to identical samples printed on Earth. The goal is to analyze how microgravity impacts the metal 3D printing process and what this means for future in-space manufacturing. The second sample will be delivered to the Technical University of Denmark for further analysis.
While astronauts have previously operated plastic 3D printers on the ISS, this marks the first time metal 3D printing has been achieved in space. The implications are huge since future space missions could manufacture essential tools, replacement parts, and structural components on demand, reducing reliance on costly and logistically complex resupply missions from Earth.
'œAs missions venture farther from Earth, in-space manufacturing will be crucial for self-sufficiency,' ESA noted in its announcement. 'œBeing able to 3D print in metal on demand could allow astronauts to repair equipment, create new components, and ultimately enable deeper space exploration.'
These three projects are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space manufacturing. Each breakthrough shows the great versatility of 3D printing in environments where traditional methods are out of reach.