3d Printing Companies

Redwire

Jacksonville, United States commercial

Redwire Corporation is a leading space infrastructure company pioneering in-space manufacturing, 3D bioprinting, and advanced spacecraft systems. With over 20 facilities developed for the International Space Station and 10 currently operating on orbit, Redwire is advancing capabilities that will enable humanity to live and work sustainably in space. In May 2024, Redwire successfully 3D bioprinted the first live human heart tissue sample through its BioFabrication Facility (BFF) aboard the ISS. This breakthrough tissue returned to Earth in April 2024, opening doors to creating heart patches for damaged tissue treatment and more effective personalized medicine. The company plans to bioprint human blood vessels and knee meniscus tissue on future missions. The MSTIC (Manufacturing of Semiconductors and Thin-Film Integrated Coatings) facility completed its pathfinder mission in 2024, manufacturing 18 thin-film semiconductor samples to explore beneficial effects of microgravity on these structures. Launched on Northrop Grumman's NG-20 cargo mission in February 2024, MSTIC is an autonomous semiconductor manufacturing platform developed with the ISS National Laboratory and NASA. Redwire's Additive Manufacturing Facility produced 3D-printed radiation shielding on orbit, recycling polyethylene from packaging waste into filament for AstroRad radiation vest inserts, addressing a major hazard for deep space missions. The company broke ground on a new state-of-the-art microgravity payload development and space operations facility in Floyd County, Indiana. Redwire continues expanding in-space manufacturing capabilities to meet growing demand for space-based research and production.

Agile Space Industries, founded in 2016 and based in Durango, United States, is a space technology company focused on the development of advanced propulsion systems. The company’s core business centers around utilizing additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D-printing, to design and produce these systems. This approach suggests a focus on rapid prototyping, customized solutions, and potentially, cost-effective manufacturing compared to traditional methods. Currently, Agile Space Industries’ publicly available information is limited to its focus on propulsion and 3D-printing technologies. However, the combination of these two areas indicates a potential specialization in creating highly tailored rocket engines, thrusters, or related components. Additive manufacturing allows for complex geometries and optimized designs that can improve performance and reduce weight – critical factors in space applications. Without further publicly available data regarding specific missions, contracts, or customers, it is difficult to assess Agile Space Industries’ current market position comprehensively. However, the company’s focus on 3D-printed propulsion suggests a potential niche within the growing small satellite and launch vehicle sectors, where demand for flexible, rapidly produced, and customized propulsion solutions is increasing. Agile Space Industries appears to be positioned as a technology developer aiming to disrupt traditional propulsion manufacturing through the application of advanced additive manufacturing techniques. Further information regarding their specific product offerings and partnerships would be necessary to fully evaluate their market potential and competitive landscape.

SWISSto12

Lausanne, Switzerland commercial

SWISSto12, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, is a rapidly growing company specializing in the development and manufacturing of Radio Frequency (RF) products for satellite communications and other applications. The company leverages a proprietary additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, process and holds a significant intellectual property portfolio in this space, enabling the creation of complex, high-performing, and lightweight RF components like antennas, filters, and waveguides. SWISSto12 offers products for space, air, and land-based applications, with a proven track record of over 1,000 RF products currently in orbit operating across a broad frequency range. Notably, SWISSto12 has achieved a first in the industry with HummingSat, the first commercial geostationary small satellite, demonstrating their capability to deliver complete satellite solutions. Recent contracts, including one with OHB Sweden for electric propulsion systems, and recognition as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, highlight the company’s momentum and growing role in the satellite communications market. SWISSto12’s technology is trusted by industry leaders like Viasat and Thales, and the company is actively expanding its team and capabilities to support a growing demand for innovative RF solutions, particularly within the context of European satellite sovereignty initiatives.

Additive Rocket Corporation (ARC), founded in 2018 and based in Henderson, United States, is a space company focused on the development of 3D printed rocket engines. The company concentrates its efforts on propulsion systems, leveraging additive manufacturing – commonly known as 3D printing – as a core technology. This approach suggests a focus on potentially reducing manufacturing costs, lead times, and enabling more complex engine designs compared to traditional manufacturing methods. Currently, information regarding ARC’s specific engine types, performance characteristics, or detailed technological innovations is limited. However, the company’s dedication to 3D printing indicates a capability in areas such as metal powder bed fusion or directed energy deposition, materials science related to high-performance alloys, and potentially automated quality control processes specific to additively manufactured components. The focus on propulsion suggests ARC aims to serve the growing demand for rocket engines from both commercial and government space launch providers. As a relatively young company established in 2018, publicly available information regarding completed missions, significant contracts, or a defined customer base is currently unavailable. This suggests ARC is likely in the research, development, and early production phases of its engine programs. ARC’s unique value proposition appears to center on the application of additive manufacturing to rocket engine production. This could position the company to offer more agile, cost-effective, and customizable propulsion solutions to a rapidly evolving space launch market, though further details on their specific capabilities and market strategy are needed to fully assess their competitive standing.

Hadrian, founded in 2020 and based in Torrance, California, is a manufacturing company focused on developing automated precision component factories for the aerospace industry. The company aims to increase manufacturing efficiency to support a more accessible and expansive spacefaring future. While specific product details are limited in publicly available information, Hadrian’s core business centers around the design and construction of these advanced, automated facilities. Hadrian differentiates itself through a focus on complete factory solutions, rather than individual component manufacturing. This suggests a capability in integrating robotics, automation software, and precision engineering to create end-to-end production lines. The company recently secured $117 million in Series B funding, indicating investor confidence in its approach and potential for scalability. Currently categorized within both the manufacturing and defense sectors, Hadrian’s technology likely caters to applications requiring high-precision, reliable component production – potentially including satellite parts, rocket engine components, or specialized hardware for defense applications. Hadrian’s unique value proposition appears to be accelerating manufacturing capabilities for the aerospace industry through full factory automation, positioning it to potentially address supply chain bottlenecks and reduce production costs for its customers. Further details regarding specific contracts or customer base are not currently available publicly.

Launcher Space Services

Hawthorne, United States commercial

Launcher Space Services, a company under the Vast umbrella, is focused on providing launch services, specifically orbital deployment for small satellites. Founded in 2018 and based in Hawthorne, California, the company is currently developing in-house propulsion technology to support its launch capabilities. The core of Launcher’s technological development centers around the E-2 liquid rocket engine. The company positions this engine as a potentially groundbreaking advancement in small satellite launch vehicle efficiency, aiming for what they believe will be world-leading performance in its class. While currently focused on engine development, this technology is intended to directly enable Launcher’s orbital deployment services. Currently available information does not detail specific missions flown or customers secured. However, the company’s focus on high-efficiency propulsion suggests a strategy geared towards cost-effective access to orbit for the growing small satellite market. Launcher’s unique value proposition appears to be centered on vertically integrating key engine technology, potentially allowing for greater control over costs and performance compared to companies relying on off-the-shelf propulsion systems. This approach, if successful, could position Launcher as a competitive player in the increasingly crowded small launch vehicle sector.

Orbital Matter

Warsaw, Poland commercial

Orbital Matter, founded in 2020 and based in Warsaw, Poland, is a space technology company focused on in-space manufacturing utilizing additive manufacturing, specifically 3D printing. The company is developing technology to decouple space structure production from the limitations of Earth-based launch payload volumes. Orbital Matter aims to manufacture complex structures directly in orbit, offering a potentially faster, cheaper, and more agile alternative to traditional methods. Their core technology centers around a universal 3D printing satellite designed for on-orbit construction. This approach addresses key challenges in space infrastructure development, including the weight penalties associated with launching pre-fabricated structures – which can be up to 70% heavier than required in space – and the operational complexity of assembling large structures from multiple rocket-delivered modules. By shipping raw materials instead of finished components, Orbital Matter anticipates reducing launch requirements by up to three times and improving material efficiency. As of late 2023, Orbital Matter has demonstrated its terrestrial prototype in simulated space conditions and is targeting a 2025 in-orbit demonstration. Their roadmap includes a commercially available 3D printing module for satellites by 2026, followed by a fully capable 3D printing satellite for large-scale universal structures by 2029. The company is led by CEO Jakub Stojek, an experienced entrepreneur with a track record of rapid growth in manufacturing, and CTO Robert Ihnatisin, a 3D printing specialist with experience at 3D printing leader Formlabs.

SEArch+

New York, United States commercial

Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), founded in 2015 and based in New York, is a firm specializing in the design of human-supporting concepts for space exploration. The company focuses on developing architectural solutions intended to enable long-duration missions and off-world habitation. Their core business centers around space station and habitat design, with a particular emphasis on innovative approaches to creating sustainable and functional living spaces in extreme environments. SEArch+ distinguishes itself through its expertise in utilizing advanced technologies, notably 3D printing, for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). This is exemplified by their award-winning “Mars Ice House” proposal, which secured a win in six NASA Centennial Challenges. The Mars Ice House concept demonstrates the firm’s capability to design habitats leveraging locally sourced materials – in this case, water ice – to provide radiation shielding and structural integrity on Mars. While specific customer details beyond NASA are not publicly available, the repeated recognition through the NASA Centennial Challenges highlights SEArch+'s ability to deliver viable and innovative solutions to complex space habitat design problems. This positions SEArch+ as a key player in the emerging field of space architecture, focused on enabling a future of sustained human presence beyond Earth.

Orbital Composites

San Jose, United States commercial

Orbital Composites, headquartered in San Jose, California and founded in 2016, is an in-space manufacturing company developing robotic additive manufacturing (3D printing) systems for fabricating large composite structures directly in the space environment — targeting the manufacture of structures including large antenna reflectors, solar array panels, structural trusses, and habitat elements that are physically too large to launch inside a rocket fairing and therefore cannot be produced and deployed using conventional satellite manufacturing approaches. Orbital Composites' technology combines continuous fiber composite deposition — extruding continuous strands of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) or other reinforcing fibers along precisely controlled paths to build up structural parts layer by layer — with robotic arm-mounted print heads that can traverse the exterior of a spacecraft or space station to build structures far larger than the robot itself. The key enabling insight is that the structural requirements for large space structures (strength, stiffness, thermal stability) are best met by composites, and that in the microgravity vacuum environment the printing process is actually simplified because there's no gravity-induced part deformation and no atmospheric contamination of the composite matrix material during cure. The company has received DARPA and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) research contracts under programs investigating large-aperture antenna fabrication in LEO and space-manufactured solar array structures. Large antennas for Earth observation radar, communications (GEO HTS phased arrays), and space-based solar power require apertures of tens to hundreds of meters that are fundamentally infeasible to launch as rigid structures. Orbital Composites' in-space manufacturing approach addresses this size limitation directly. Orbital Composites competes with Tethers Unlimited (CHIMERA in-space fabrication), Made In Space (Archinaut, now part of Redwire), and Maxar's SSL in-space manufacturing programs in the nascent space manufacturing market.