Germany-based DCUBED announces that it will demonstrate in-space manufacturing as part of a demonstration mission expected in Q1 2024.
The demonstration, which will be the first time that a product has been manufactured in free space, aims to produce a roughly 30-centimeter high, 3D-printed truss structure.
The demonstration is designed to prove the efficacy of in-space manufacturing and highlight the game-changing potential that such capabilities promise to deliver for production in-orbit.[1]
“Payload limitations and costs are real barriers hindering the use of space for the benefit of mankind. There is an urgent need for large structures in orbit to support an ecosystem providing services as diverse as internet from space, IoT, and Earth observation,” said Dr. Thomas Sinn, the founder, and CEO of DCUBED
DCUBED Achievements in Space
The imminent demonstration is a key milestone in DCUBED’s march towards establishing in-space manufacturing capabilities for larger space structures, especially for SmallSat applications, due to be demonstrated by the company in the next few years.
“The establishment of our new key business division shows that we at DCUBED always want to push the boundaries of what is possible, enabling our partners and customers to think big in space. Our demonstration of manufacturing in free space promises to revolutionize in-space fabrication and repair of space structures and trigger a paradigm shift in how we approach the production of space hardware, opening many doors which we can’t even imagine right now. This is a truly disruptive enabling technology,” said Thomas.
As part of this initiative, several kilowatt (KW) SmallSat solar arrays will be demonstrated during an in-orbit mission demonstration in 2026 and an experiment with truss structure fabrication in 2025.
DCUBED, an established space mechanism builder with 15 products already in orbit, is in the process of establishing an office in Broomfield, Colorado, to position itself within the key United States space market – the state rapidly becoming a hugely important and thriving hub for the burgeoning New Space industry.
References
- DCUBED, ‘DCUBED announces world-first in-space manufacturing demonstration, highlighting company’s key business area’, 10 August 2023, https://dcubed.space/press/dcubed-announces-world-first-in-space-manufacturing-demonstration-highlighting-companys-key-business-area/[↩]
