DCUBED, a German NewSpace hardware manufacturer, and the Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences have been awarded funding for a joint research project by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The funding is part of the Bavarian Space Research Program, through which the state government supports the development of technologies promising to overcome the societal challenges of the future. The total value of the project amounts to more than $1 million, two thirds of which are provided by the state.
The two-year project will launch in January 2024 and will focus on applicable research and development in the field of in-space manufacturing (ISM). In 2024, DCUBED will carry out the world’s first demonstration of this technology in open space. Further testing in 2025 will support the development of ISM up to full market readiness.
“The Bavarian government’s backing is the largest subsidy we have ever received for this technology: This is a great confirmation of our capabilities,” said Dr Thomas Sinn, CEO and Founder of DCUBED. ”On this basis, we are aiming to do something that has never been done before: We want to be the first to show that manufacturing structures directly in space is possible. And we want to be the first to develop in-space manufacturing capabilities to market maturity.”
The first use case for ISM will be the manufacturing of support structures for satellite solar panels from photopolymer using 3D printing in space.
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