Orbital Matter 3D Prints a 0.5-Meter Rigid Beam in Open Vacuum on Orbit
Orbital Matter’s Replicator 2 satellite extruded and UV-cured resin in the open vacuum of low Earth orbit to form a roughly 0.5-meter cylindrical beam.
Nanjixiong reports that Germany-based Orbital Matter produced a rigid cylindrical beam about 0.5 meters long aboard its Replicator 2 satellite. The PADS process extrudes resin and cures it with ultraviolet light while operating in open vacuum, microgravity and orbital temperature swings.
Replicator 2 launched in July 2026 carrying four printers. Orbital Matter announced successful extrusion and curing in open vacuum in August; newer independent reporting describes the half-meter beam and successful solar-array deployment. A separate printer assigned to solar-array deployment experienced an anomaly.
The company targets a 5 kW solar-array demonstration in 2028 and more than 100 kW per wing by 2030, but those are future goals. This test demonstrated a short beam in orbit; accuracy, durability and manufacturing time for structures approaching 100 meters remain undisclosed.
Key facts
- Resin extruded and UV-cured in open vacuum in low Earth orbit
- Rigid cylindrical beam measured about 0.5 meters
- Replicator 2 carries four PADS printers
- 100-meter structures and high-power arrays remain future goals
Context
The result demonstrates growing structures in orbit rather than folding them for launch, while scale-up still requires validation of dimensional accuracy, long-term durability and carried resin mass.
