JPL's 3D-Printed Titanium Spring Deploys Successfully in Orbit

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory demonstrates additive manufacturing can reduce cost and complexity of spacecraft hardware.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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A 3D-printed titanium spring designed and built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena was deployed in orbit aboard a commercial satellite, demonstrating that 'additive manufacturing' can reduce the cost and complexity of spacecraft hardware, the agency announced.

Why it matters

JPL's successful test of the 3D-printed spring shows how additive manufacturing can enable faster, cheaper, and less complex production of space hardware, which could benefit future satellite missions and NASA's Artemis lunar program.

The details

The device, called the JPL Additive Compliant Canister (JACC), combines what would normally be five separate mechanical components into a single printed titanium structure, using three times fewer parts than conventionally fabricated versions. JACC rode to orbit aboard Proteus Space's Mercury One satellite and was captured on video as it deployed in low Earth orbit.

  • The JACC device was launched aboard the Mercury One satellite on November 28, 2025.
  • The spring successfully deployed in low Earth orbit in the following months.

The players

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA's research and development center located in Pasadena, California, which designed and built the 3D-printed titanium spring.

Proteus Space

A company that built the Mercury One satellite, which carried the 3D-printed spring to orbit.

Christine Gebara

A mechatronics engineer at JPL who oversaw the JACC project.

Douglas Hofmann

A senior research scientist and principal at JPL who has been working to embed springs, flexures and other mechanisms directly into 3D-printed structural hardware.

David Kervin

The CEO of Proteus Space, which built the Mercury One satellite that carried the 3D-printed spring to orbit.

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What they’re saying

“The JPL Additive Compliant Canister survived launch and several months on orbit prior to popping open on command. JACC demonstrates how additive manufacturing can reduce part count and improve compliant mechanisms in space.”

— Christine Gebara, mechatronics engineer at JPL

“Thanks to Proteus Space, JPL had a rapid flight infusion for this cool 3D printed spring.”

— Douglas Hofmann, senior research scientist and principal at JPL

“Twelve months ago we had no mature design, no payloads and no metal in house for this first of its kind, ESPA class, four payload spacecraft. Think about that.”

— David Kervin, CEO of Proteus Space

What’s next

JPL plans to continue exploring how additive manufacturing can be used to reduce the cost and complexity of spacecraft hardware for future missions.

The takeaway

JPL's successful deployment of a 3D-printed titanium spring in orbit demonstrates the potential of additive manufacturing to revolutionize the design and production of space hardware, paving the way for more affordable and innovative satellite and spacecraft technologies.