Case Study: Planetary Resources achieves lighter, integrated spacecraft components and faster design iterations with 3D Systems 3D‑printing solutions

Planetary Resources Uses 3D Printed Casting Patterns to Explore New Frontiers in Spacecraft Manufacturing

Planetary Resources, a company developing the Arkyd series of small spacecraft to locate and eventually mine near‑Earth asteroids, needed to radically rethink spacecraft design for low‑cost, mass‑producible vehicles. With demonstrators the size of a cereal box and production craft constrained by strict mass and volume limits, traditional bulky components—especially propulsion tanks—threatened payload efficiency and repeatable manufacturing.

Partnering with 3D Systems, Planetary Resources adopted SLA QuickCast patterns and direct metal printing to consolidate multiple components into single, organic titanium structures (notably a doughnut‑shaped fuel tank that doubles as the spacecraft framework). The approach enabled faster CAD‑to‑pattern cycles, fewer parts and assemblies, lower weight and cost, and access to flight‑certified alloys—accelerating design iterations and moving Arkyd toward scalable production and upcoming launches.

Planetary Resources

Chris Lewicki

President and Chief Executive Officer