Orbital Matter prints rigid booms for large-scale solar arrays

Orbital Matter and EnduroSat are targeting a 2028 mission to deploy a 5 kW solar array using in-space 3D printing, a move designed to bypass the constraints of folding bulky hardware into launch vehicles (Payload). The company validated its technology on the Replicator 2 mission, which utilized a UV-curing process to harden extruded resin into a 32.5 cm rigid boom (TLDR Hardware). This method allows for the fabrication of structural supports directly in the vacuum of space, with the firm projecting that booms reaching 100 m in length are feasible using onboard resin supplies.

The 2028 deployment aims to support the emerging orbital-data-center market, where satellite operators require hundreds of kilowatts of power to sustain AI compute workloads. By shifting from deployable, folded structures to additive manufacturing in orbit, Orbital Matter intends to reduce the cost per watt for high-power satellite missions. The company plans to scale this capability to 100+ kW arrays by 2030, eventually extending the application of its 3D printing technology to lunar and Martian infrastructure projects.

• Redwire secured a $20M DARPA contract to test air-breathing electric propulsion for satellites operating at altitudes between 90 km and 250 km (Payload).
• Starfish Space terminated its $15M NASA inspection mission after a fault-protection error on the Otter 24C spacecraft disabled its radio communications (Payload).