Summary points:
- First arrays will use Spectrolab solar cells on small satellites from Millennium Space Systems.
- New design prints harness paths and attachment points directly into panels, reducing parts, tooling, and bonding steps.
- Approach allows parallel assembly with cell production and scales from small satellites to Boeing 702-class spacecraft, targeting availability in 2026.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - The Boeing Company in Arlington County, Va., has introduced a 3D-printed solar array substrate that the company says compresses composite build times by as much as six months on a typical solar array wing program, a production improvement of up to 50 percent compared with current cycle times.
Flight-representative hardware has completed engineering testing and is progressing through Boeing’s standard qualification path ahead of customer missions.
"Power sets the pace of a mission. We reached across our enterprise to introduce efficiencies and novel technologies to set a more rapid pace," said Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems. "By integrating Boeing’s additive manufacturing expertise with Spectrolab’s high-efficiency solar tech and Millennium’s high-rate production line, our Space Mission Systems team is turning production speed into a capability, helping customers field resilient constellations faster."
Related: The future of crewed and uncrewed space flight
New approaches
The first 3D-printed solar arrays will use Spectrolab solar cells aboard small satellites built by Millennium Space Systems, both part of Boeing’s Space Mission Systems organization.
The new approach prints harness paths and attachment points directly into each panel, replacing dozens of separate parts, tooling, and bonding steps with one precise structure. Boeing says this enables parallel builds of complete arrays, scaling from small satellites to larger spacecraft, including its 702-class platforms, with market availability targeted for 2026.
Melissa Orme, vice president of Materials & Structures, Boeing Technology Innovation, said scaling additive manufacturing across programs is yielding performance and production benefits. Boeing has already incorporated more than 150,000 3D-printed parts across its portfolio, including over 1,000 RF parts on each Wideband Global SATCOM satellite in production.
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