As the commercial space industry expands, one of the biggest challenges remains: how to construct large-scale structures in orbit without being limited by the size of a rocket’s cargo fairing. DARPA’s Novel Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials, and Mass-efficient Design (NOM4D) program aims to break these constraints by developing in-orbit manufacturing techniques. Now, in the program’s third and final phase, DARPA has shifted its focus from lab experiments to real-world orbital demonstrations, proving that these novel materials and assembly processes can work in space.
Rethinking How Structures Are Built in Space
Traditional space structures, such as antennas and solar arrays, must be folded or compacted to fit inside a rocket, only to be deployed once they reach orbit. This limits their size and efficiency. NOM4D takes a different approach: sending lightweight raw materials into space and assembling structures there. This allows for the creation of massive, highly efficient designs that would be impossible to launch fully assembled.
“Instead of continuing lab-based experiments, we decided to push our teams to demonstrate these technologies in space,” said Andrew Detor, DARPA’s NOM4D program manager. “This ensures they can’t just work in a controlled environment—they must survive real space conditions.”
Two Key Space Demonstrations
1. Caltech’s Autonomous Orbital Assembly Experiment
Caltech, in partnership with Momentus Inc., is preparing an in-space robotic assembly experiment set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-16 mission in February 2026. Their goal is to test an autonomous robotic system that can assemble large structures in space.
- The experiment will be “free-flying,” meaning it will operate without human intervention once in orbit.
- A robotic gantry will assemble lightweight composite fiber tubes into a 1.4-meter-diameter circular truss, simulating a space-based antenna framework.
- Onboard cameras will provide real-time monitoring to ensure the assembly process works as designed.
While the Caltech experiment won’t include actual radio frequency (RF) antennas, it will prove that their lightweight materials and robotic construction methods function properly in microgravity. If successful, this approach could be scaled up to build massive antennas, solar arrays, or space habitats.
2. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Composite Manufacturing in Space
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has developed an advanced composite-forming process for use in space and will conduct its demonstration aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2026. Partnering with Voyager Space, the UIUC experiment will take place in the Bishop Airlock module attached to the ISS.
- The experiment involves a flat sleeve of carbon fiber that expands into a structural tube, similar to a finger trap toy.
- Instead of using high-pressure ovens (autoclaves) like those required for carbon fiber on Earth, the team developed a self-propagating polymerization process.
- The polymerization reaction is triggered at one end of the tube, allowing the structure to harden on its own without requiring extreme heat.
This breakthrough means that, in theory, huge structures could be manufactured in space, only limited by the amount of raw materials available.
Future Applications: Beyond the NOM4D Demonstrations
While Caltech and UIUC focus on in-orbit assembly and materials, a third team at the University of Florida is working on laser-based metal bending techniques for space applications. Though not part of the current space demonstrations, this work—done in collaboration with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center—could be key to future space-based construction.
DARPA envisions NOM4D technologies paving the way for future large-scale space structures, such as:
- 100-meter-wide RF antennas for monitoring cislunar space (the vast region between Earth and the Moon).
- Space-based refueling stations for commercial and government spacecraft.
- Giant solar arrays to harvest energy in orbit.
“NOM4D is just the first step,” said Detor. “If successful, these technologies could revolutionize how we build structures in space, enabling everything from massive antennas to fully operational space stations—all constructed entirely in orbit.”
With the upcoming in-space demonstrations, DARPA is not just testing new technology—they’re laying the foundation for a new era of space manufacturing that could reshape the future of exploration, defense, and commercial space operations.
