First Metal Part Successfully 3D Printed on Board ISS

It’s official, a metal part has been 3D printed for the first time in orbit, and more specifically on board the ISS in a team effort between the European Space Agency (ESA), Airbus and its partners! And if the news sounds familiar, it’s because they had already succeeded last June in designing a 3D-printed shape, again in microgravity. But this time, the project goes one step further, because it’s a real metal part, retrieved directly from the machine by astronauts Jeannette Epps and Sunita Williams. Further proof that additive manufacturing has its place in space, and that it can facilitate on-demand production, which is more convenient for long missions.

3D printing on board the ISS is nothing new in itself, what is new is the process used. While polymer-based technologies have already been tried and tested in space, metal processes have not. Indeed, as you can imagine, there are numerous safety constraints surrounding metal 3D printing, not least in terms of the temperatures required but also the weightlessness that makes metal deposition highly unpredictable. These challenges have inevitably lengthened the project as a whole – it’s worth noting that the metal 3D printer arrived at the ISS in January 2024, but wasn’t “up and running” until May.

The part in question

A great deal of monitoring and control was required: depositing metal layers in zero-gravity is no easy task, especially in terms of alignment. The astronauts on board therefore had to proceed step by step to find the perfect calibration. By this summer, they had succeeded in printing 55 layers, gradually increasing the daily printing time from 3.5 hours to 4.5 hours.

So it was not without emotion that the astronauts revealed the very first metal part last weekend. These are actually several components printed on a circular support. Measuring 9 x 5 cm, they are made from stainless steel. The machine in question is based on directed energy deposition (DED) technology, and melts the metal wire with a laser that can reach temperatures of up to 1,200°C.

Astronauts retrieve 3D-printed part from ISS

Anthony Lecossais, metal 3D Lead Engineer at Airbus Defence and Space, explains: “One of the major objectives of this technology demonstrator is to gather as much data as possible of the effects of microgravity on the printing performance. We are very pleased to have achieved a successful print, right first time! It will help to advance technologies for in-space manufacturing needs, from tooling and repairs needs to additive construction, opening up new possibilities for future space exploration missions.” One thing’s for sure: we’ll be sure to keep you informed of any further developments away from the ISS! In the meantime, you can find all the information HERE.

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*All Photo Credits: ESA/NASA