Roboze 3D Printer Builds a CubeSat Frame That Rivals Aluminum

Italian Startup 3D Prints Satellite Structure That Rivals Aluminum

A small aerospace company in Italy has finished a key milestone for CubeSat manufacturing. NESST Srl, working with Roboze and backed by the Italian Space Agency and European Space Agency, designed, printed, and validated a 3U CubeSat structure using the Roboze ARGO 500 platform and Carbon PEEK filament.

The test results are worth paying attention to. The Carbon PEEK parts matched the mechanical performance of conventional aluminum alloys. They also met the strict outgassing requirements defined by the ECSS-Q-ST-70-02C standard, which is essential for anything flying in space.

NESST Technical Manager Francesco Lucia said the project changes how the team thinks about satellite manufacturing. "Proving that FFF-processed polymers can rival traditional aluminum alloys marks a significant shift in how we conceive satellite manufacturing," Lucia noted. The team is already moving to Phase 2, where they plan to integrate wiring, electronics, and microfluidic systems directly into the 3D-printed structures.

Roboze CEO Alessio Lorusso called the results a validation of the company's core vision. "Optimising the FFF process for high-performance polymers is exactly what our technology is built for, and this project highlights the readiness of these materials for the evolving space economy," Lorusso said.

The timing matters. Last month, Airbus qualified the Roboze ARGO 500 HYPERSPEED for secondary structural parts using ULTEM 9085. That approval, combined with the NESST results, signals that high-temperature FFF polymers are moving from experimental to production-ready for aerospace.

For the CubeSat industry specifically, 3D-printed structures cut the tooling costs and lead times that come with CNC machining. The design freedom also lets engineers optimize weight and stiffness in ways that machined parts do not allow.

The NESST project does not stop at structures. The next phase targets functional integration, printing satellite frames that already carry harnesses and electronics mounts. If that works, the line between structure and payload in small satellite design gets noticeably thinner.