Orbital Matter Satellite Builds Half-Meter Beam in Orbit

Orbital Matter’s Replicator 2 satellite produced a rigid beam about half a meter long in orbit, a demonstration that could let spacecraft build structures after launch instead of fitting every part inside a rocket fairing. The German startup sent four of its printers aboard the satellite, which launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission this summer. The machines form cylindrical beams by extruding coils of resin and hardening them with ultraviolet light. The test used a custom plastic material. Orbital Matter worked on Replicator 2 with the European Space Agency and Thales Alenia, a European satellite builder.

Source: TokenPost