Airbus Defence and Space / ESAAerospacesince 2024
Airbus / ESA Metal 3D Printer on ISS
First metal part 3D-printed in orbit aboard the International Space Station
Aerospace85% confidence
AEROSPACE · PART PHOTO
Challenge
Manufacturing in microgravity is profoundly different: molten metal behaves differently, fumes must be contained, and the printer must operate autonomously. No metal AM had ever operated in orbit.
Solution
Airbus led development of ESA's Metal 3D Printer for the Columbus module. In September 2024 the printer produced the first-ever metal part in space — demonstrating in-orbit manufacturing capability for future long-duration missions.
Outcomes
- 01First metal part ever 3D-printed in orbit
Technologies
Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Source
September 2024 milestone; enables future on-demand spare manufacturing on ISS and beyond
Cite this page
APA
AM Roadmap. (2024). Airbus / ESA Metal 3D Printer on ISS. AM Roadmap (v0.4.2-fixes-deployed). Retrieved 2026-05-17, from https://amroadmap.com/success-stories/airbus-iss-metal-print-2024
BibTeX
@misc{amroadmap_airbus_esa_metal_3d_printer_on_iss_2024,
title = {Airbus / ESA Metal 3D Printer on ISS},
author = {{AM Roadmap}},
year = {2024},
url = {https://amroadmap.com/success-stories/airbus-iss-metal-print-2024},
note = {AM Roadmap dataset v0.4.2-fixes-deployed, accessed 2026-05-17}
}Canonical URL: https://amroadmap.com/success-stories/airbus-iss-metal-print-2024