Nikon Targets Space as the Next Frontier for Metal 3D Printing

Every kilogram launched into orbit carries a steep price tag. That reality has pushed engineers to find ways to make spacecraft lighter for decades. Now Nikon Advanced Manufacturing sees metal 3D printing as the tool that will let factories build parts in space instead of launching them from Earth.

Hamid Zarringhalam, CEO of Nikon Advanced Manufacturing, said the space industry demands exactly what additive manufacturing offers: lightweight structures, fast iteration cycles, and supply chains that do not depend on resupply missions. "Space is one of the most compelling examples of where additive manufacturing delivers clear and measurable value," he told 3DPrint.com. "The industry demands lightweight, high-performance components, rapid innovation cycles, and increasingly resilient supply chains, which are all areas where additive manufacturing has a distinct advantage."

Nikon is not treating space as a side project. The company views orbital manufacturing as part of its broader push to move metal AM from prototypes into serial production. "For Nikon, space is not a separate strategy but a part of a broader vision to industrialize additive manufacturing and enable next-generation production across critical sectors," Zarringhalam said. "The same capabilities that are transforming defense, aviation, and energy are equally relevant to the future of space."

JAXA contracts and rocket parts

The company already has concrete projects in motion. Nikon was selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to implement the Space Strategy Fund program, where it will develop metal 3D printing technologies for precision rocket components. The work combines laser powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition methods to produce high-precision parts at lower cost and shorter lead times.

Nikon has also invested in Vast, a California startup building commercial space stations. The partnership gives Nikon insight into how private space habitats could use onboard 3D printers to produce replacement parts, tools, and upgrades without waiting for cargo flights. Vast is targeting a 2027 launch for Haven-1, which it hopes will become the first commercial space station.

Nikon SLM Solutions, the German metal printer maker Nikon acquired in 2023, already supplies large-format systems to space companies. The flagship NXG XII 600 can print parts up to 600 by 600 by 1,500 millimeters using 12 lasers. Around 80 of these machines are installed worldwide, many running as fleets at single sites.

In-orbit manufacturing remains a long game

Zarringhalam sees in-space manufacturing as an eventual necessity for permanent stations. "For commercial space stations to make economic sense, the constraints of lifting mass and volume must continue to be reduced significantly," he said. "We can imagine the possibility of in-space manufacturing since that would enable building structures that are too large, fragile, or not shaped to fit inside the rocket or deal with launch forces."

That future depends on sending digital design files rather than physical inventory. Nikon envisions a workflow where qualified part files are transmitted to orbit and manufactured on demand, cutting both launch mass and resupply risk.

The company is candid about the market slowdown. In February 2026, Nikon recorded a $591 million impairment charge tied to its metal AM operations after demand for large printers grew slower than projected. Competition from Chinese manufacturers and slower-than-expected qualification timelines contributed to the write-down. Zarringhalam stressed that the impairment does not signal a retreat. "Nikon's commitment to Advanced Manufacturing remains unchanged," he said. "We firmly believe the Defense and Space markets, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, will experience accelerated growth compared to other sectors."

Nikon expects the metal AM market to grow at roughly 13 percent annually, down from earlier forecasts of 26 percent. Even at that more modest pace, the company sees structural demand from defense and space programs that require certified, repeatable production. The latest U.S. National Defense Authorization Act includes language mandating one million additive-produced parts by the end of 2026, a target that could drive qualification work across the industry.

For now, the path to orbital factories runs through Earth-based production. Nikon is focusing on the hard parts first: qualifying materials, building reliable machines, and convincing engineers that printed metal components can survive the rigors of launch and operation. If that foundation holds, space may indeed become the next frontier for additive manufacturing.