The Next Milestone for Space Manufacturing Is Trust
Advanced manufacturing is changing how spacecraft and aerospace systems are designed, produced and maintained. WAMS 2026, the third ESA/NASA International Conference on Advanced Manufacturing, brought together researchers and engineers from across industry, academia and space agencies to discuss progress in additive manufacturing, advanced joining, process monitoring and manufacturing beyond Earth. A clear theme throughout the conference was that the field is moving beyond demonstrating what can be manufactured and towards proving that these processes are repeatable, inspectable and suitable for operational use. What the First Metal Prints on the ISS Revealed One of the most notable presentations covered the first metal 3D-printing experiment conducted aboard the International Space Station…