China has successfully conducted its first metal 3D printing experiment in space, marking a major advance in the country’s efforts to develop in-orbit manufacturing technologies.
The breakthrough experiment was carried out by a retrievable scientific payload developed by the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the academy announced on Saturday. It represents the first time China has fabricated metal components in the microgravity environment of space.
The payload was launched aboard the Lihong-1 Y1 suborbital vehicle, a commercial recoverable spacecraft developed by CAS Space, a Chinese aerospace enterprise exploring applications ranging from scientific research to space tourism. The spacecraft completed its inaugural test flight on January 12, lifting off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
According to CAS, after the Lihong-1 Y1 crossed the Kármán line — the internationally recognized boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space — and reached an altitude of about 120 kilometers, the payload autonomously carried out metal additive manufacturing under microgravity conditions.
CAS described the mission as a key milestone, signaling the transition of China’s space-based metal 3D printing technology from “ground-based research” to a new stage of “in-space engineering verification.” The academy said the achievement places China at the forefront of global efforts in space manufacturing.
The experiment is expected to strongly support the future development of China’s space manufacturing ecosystem and act as an important enabler for building and maintaining space infrastructure, including satellites, space stations, and deep-space platforms.
Conducting metal additive manufacturing in space poses far greater challenges than on Earth. The research team had to overcome multiple technical hurdles, including stable material transport and forming in microgravity, full-process closed-loop control, and highly reliable coordination between the payload and the launch vehicle, CAS said.
After completing the experiment, the payload capsule made a safe parachute-assisted landing and was quickly recovered. Scientists have since obtained valuable first-hand data on melt pool dynamics, material transport and solidification behavior, as well as the geometric accuracy and mechanical properties of the space-printed parts.
The Lihong-1 Y1, noted for its low launch cost and high flexibility, is emerging as a promising testbed for suborbital experiments. In addition to the metal 3D printing equipment, the spacecraft also carried rose seeds for agricultural research.
Looking ahead, the vehicle is being developed for multiple reuse. Deputy chief designer Wang Yingcheng said tests are underway to integrate crew life-support systems and high-reliability escape technologies, paving the way for expanded scientific missions and future commercial space tourism.
