# Orbital Matter 3D printed the first rigid beam in the vacuum of space

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/orbital-matter-3d-printed-the-first-rigid-beam-in-the-vacuum-of-space/
- Published: 2026-11-03T20:57:17+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T21:15:46+00:00
- Original publisher: TechCrunch
- Original article: https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/03/orbital-matter-3d-printed-the-first-rigid-beam-in-the-vacuum-of-space/
- Topics: Space, Technology

## Key points

- Orbital Matter printed a rigid beam in orbit.
- Its half-metre boom helped deploy a solar array.
- A larger printer demonstration is planned for 2028.

## Summary

Orbital Matter says its Replicator-2 satellite has 3D-printed a rigid beam in the vacuum of space, a first for a free-flying spacecraft in orbit. The demonstration could help spacecraft build large power and heat-dissipation structures in orbit, avoiding the size limits imposed by rocket fairings.

Launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission this summer, Replicator-2 carried four printers that extrude resin and cure it with ultraviolet light. One printer failed, but a successfully printed boom deployed a flexible solar array; the beam measured half a metre, while the company says 100-metre booms may be feasible. Orbital Matter plans a larger demonstration in 2028, aiming to deploy a 5-kilowatt solar array, with deployments above 100 kilowatts per wing targeted by 2030.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.