Manufacturing & Construction

3D-printing parts and tools in orbit, layer by layer. A 3D printer has operated aboard the ISS since 2014, printing tools and spares on demand and pointing toward a future where spacecraft parts are made in space rather than launched.

Using robots to build and maintain infrastructure in space and on other worlds with little or no human presence — laying landing pads, assembling habitats, and constructing solar farms before crews arrive.

Building large structures in space from parts, rather than folding a finished structure into a rocket fairing. In-space assembly would allow telescopes, antennas, and stations far larger than any launch vehicle could carry whole.

Repairing, refuelling, and upgrading spacecraft in orbit instead of discarding them — extending mission life and reducing debris. Robotic servicing missions have already docked with and relocated satellites.