The first-ever metal 3D printed part produced in space has returned to Earth for testing as part of the [European Space Agency](https://www.esa.int/)’s (ESA) ‘Metal3D’ project focused on manufacturing in microgravity.
Developed by [Airbus](https://www.airbus.com/en) and its partners, this 3D printer was installed in the ISS’s Columbus module by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen last year. A few months later, in June, it successfully produced its first test print, a curving line shaped like an “S.”
Over the summer, it printed a complete sample, followed by a second in December. Now, the first of these samples is set for analysis at ESTEC’s [Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory](https://escies.org/download/webDocumentFile?id=64659), where researchers will compare it with Earth-printed counterparts to better understand how microgravity influences the printing process. The second sample will be studied at the [Technical University of Denmark](https://www.dtu.dk/english/) (DTU).
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The first-ever metal 3D printed part produced in space has returned to Earth for testing as part of the [European Space Agency](https://www.esa.int/)’s (ESA) ‘Metal3D’ project focused on manufacturing in microgravity.
Created aboard the [International Space Station](https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/) (ISS) using ESA’s Metal 3D Printer, the sample has landed at the agency’s [European Space Research and Technology Centre](https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESTEC/ESTEC_European_Space_Research_and_Technology_Centre) (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, where it will undergo testing.
Developed by [Airbus](https://www.airbus.com/en) and its partners, this 3D printer was installed in the ISS’s Columbus module by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen last year. A few months later, in June, it successfully produced its first test print, a curving line shaped like an “S.”
Over the summer, it printed a complete sample, followed by a second in December. Now, the first of these samples is set for analysis at ESTEC’s [Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory](https://escies.org/download/webDocumentFile?id=64659), where researchers will compare it with Earth-printed counterparts to better understand how microgravity influences the printing process. The second sample will be studied at the [Technical University of Denmark](https://www.dtu.dk/english/) (DTU).