Orbital Matter

Orbital Matter is a Polish-German space technology company, founded in 2022 by CEO Jakub Stojek and CTO Robert Ihnatisin, with the objective of becoming a construction company in space. The firm is developing a proprietary 3D printing technology designed to manufacture large-scale space infrastructure directly in orbit, on the Moon, and on Mars. This approach addresses the significant constraints of launching fully assembled structures from Earth, which must be built to be up to 70% heavier than necessary to survive the journey into space.

The company's core technology is a patented, low-heat 3D printing process that functions in the vacuum and microgravity of space. Unlike conventional methods that require a slow cooling period, Orbital Matter's process does not generate heat, enabling much faster construction. By shipping raw materials instead of finished components, the company projects it can reduce launch weight by up to 70% and volume by a factor of ten, enabling the in-orbit creation of structures up to 20 times larger per rocket launch. The technology is intended for fabricating items such as large antennas, solar arrays, thermal radiators, walls for space stations, and lunar habitats.

The founders' backgrounds are complementary. Jakub Stojek is a serial entrepreneur with a decade of experience in manufacturing. One of his previous companies was recognized by the Financial Times as the 22nd fastest-growing business in Europe, and he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Robert Ihnatisin is a multiskilled engineer specializing in 3D printing, having previously worked in R&D at the 3D printing firm Formlabs, where he contributed to next-generation printers and patent applications. The two met at the Entrepreneur First accelerator in Berlin and bonded over a shared interest in hardware and manufacturing.

Orbital Matter has secured over €1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Sunfish Partners and Dhyan VC, and a subsequent €1 million seed round led by Early Game Ventures. This capital is being used to advance the technology from NASA Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 5 to TRL 8, preparing for commercial readiness. The company has engaged in significant strategic partnerships, including a Memorandum of Understanding and a paid pilot agreement with Thales Alenia Space. Orbital Matter is also collaborating with industry leaders like OHB and Axiom Space on use cases and has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to test its technology. A key milestone was the 'Replicator' mission, a demonstration launched aboard the maiden flight of the Ariane 6 rocket, which aimed to print a 50cm-long beam from a custom polymer using a three-unit CubeSat.

Keywords: in-space manufacturing, 3D printing in space, additive manufacturing, space construction, space infrastructure, satellite components, launch cost reduction, orbital fabrication, lunar construction, Robert Ihnatisin, Jakub Stojek, European Space Agency, Thales Alenia Space, Ariane 6, Replicator mission, CubeSat, space-based solar power, large space structures, microgravity manufacturing, vacuum 3D printing, deep tech, space economy, satellite technology