October 2026: ESA's in-orbit metal printer. ESA reported that the fifth metal sample printed on the ISS came back to Earth carrying the first thrusters made in space. This is in-space manufacturing, not a 3D printed satellite, but it is a notable milestone for the sector.
September 2026: space additive manufacturing in the technical press. Tech Briefs' September 2026 Space Technology report covered additive manufacturing. It cited the JUICE Jupiter mission, where printed brackets were 50% lighter. It also said additive manufacturing complements conventional machining and that inspection and process control are critical for space-grade parts. An academic review in Acta Astronautica (Volume 246, September 2026) also covered additive manufacturing in spacecraft components.
August 2026: Rocket Lab formed Rocket Lab Germany GmbH. The Munich-based subsidiary is meant to expand Rocket Lab's satellite and component manufacturing presence in Europe. The source does not describe it as 3D printing specifically, so treat it as adjacent.
August 2026: Hadrian raised a $1.37 billion Series D. The round valued the company at just under $8 billion. Hadrian launched an additive manufacturing division in January 2026. The August timing follows from a 3DPrint.com report that described the Fortastra deal as "last month".
29 July 2026: Fortastra and Hadrian signed an MoU. This is the most directly relevant item. The two companies will jointly evaluate metal and polymer 3D printing, machining and hybrid methods for Fortastra's satellite bus programs. The aim is to speed up production for national security missions. It is an agreement to explore the idea, not a launched product.
September 2025: Boeing began 3D printing solar array structural panels. Boeing said this would cut production time in half. The first arrays will fly on small satellites built by Millennium Space Systems. Market availability was targeted for 2026. The SpaceNews article gives only "Sept." in the text. I inferred the year from the article's age, so please check the date if you need it exact.