Researchers at the Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) in Siberia have “printed out” a fully-functional small satellite on a 3D printer. Christened ‘Tomsk-TPU-120,’ the spacecraft will soon be taken to Baikonur, the main Russian launch center in the territory of neighboring Kazakhstan. A cargo rocket will then take it to the International Space Station (ISS) in orbit. The launch of the Tomsk-TPU-120 from the ISS is slated for March 31, the TPU website announced earlier this month.
It’s one of the CubSat type of nanodimensional satellites, sized 300x100x100mm. This is the world’s first such project, in which the entire casing of a satellite is fully 3D printed. The spacecraft will operate at an altitude of about 400km for as long as six months.
3D-printed Siberian satellite ready for space launchRead More
