Case Study: University of Kentucky accelerates re-entry capsule development with Protolabs

KRUPS x Protolabs

The University of Kentucky's KRUPS aerospace research team faced a challenge producing flight-ready capsule housings for a re-entry data mission. Their in-house 3D printing was slow and inconsistent, creating a major bottleneck that put critical project timelines at risk. To overcome this, they partnered with vendor Protolabs for manufacturing services.

Protolabs utilized 3D printing with DuraForm HST composite and CNC machining to produce the critical capsule housings and aluminum shells. This solution delivered high-quality, flight-ready hardware on schedule, which allowed the team to expand mission capabilities and prepare multiple capsules for launch. By removing the production obstacle, Protolabs enabled the researchers to focus on engineering and scientific objectives, successfully supporting a mission that launched payloads to the International Space Station.

University of Kentucky