Chinese scientists have developed a 3D-printed connector-enabled strong tube technology designed for building solar power stations and large antennas in space. This innovation will enable the assembly of parts and construction of structures hundreds of meters long in orbit, revitalizing the vision behind NASA’s ‘SpiderFab’ project. The Shenyang Institute has already successfully demonstrated a small antenna structure in the laboratory and regards this technology as a foundational step for the next generation of space systems. Kathmandu, April 23.
The American space agency NASA proposed the ‘SpiderFab’ project years ago, which envisioned spider-like robots weaving solar power stations and massive antennas directly in space. Although NASA’s dream did not reach fruition, scientists at the Shenyang Institute of Automation in northern China claim to have developed the essential technologies needed to achieve a similar goal. According to a recent report published in the journal Space: Science and Technology, the Chinese research team has created strong, hollow tubes from carbon fiber composites and connected them using 3D-printed connectors.
This process uses laser technology to join the tubes and joints without bolts or glue, resulting in robust connections. Such technology enables constructing lightweight yet strong structures in space, addressing the constraints imposed by rocket size limits and intense launch forces. Large structures built on Earth are difficult to fit inside rockets, and delicate equipment risks damage during launch. However, with this new Chinese method allowing parts to be directly manufactured, joined, and assembled in orbit, constructing structures hundreds of meters long becomes feasible.
Listed on the U.S. sanctions list since 2022, the Shenyang Institute considers this technology foundational for future space systems. The concept has been successfully demonstrated by building a small antenna structure in the laboratory. If fully implemented, this technology could usher in a new era in the global competition to develop enormous space structures for exploration, communications, and solar energy harvesting.
