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"Yunjian Muxi-1" Satellite Successfully Launched: AI Design + 3D Printing Reduces Component Count by 80%
On July 24 at 7:33 a.m., the "Yunjian Muxi-1" satellite (Jitianxing A-04) was successfully launched into orbit aboard a Lijian-1 Y-15 carrier rocket from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Zone. The satellite was jointly developed by partners including Yunjian Information, Muxi Inc., Zhejiang University City College, and Xuntian Qianhe. Its meter-level main structure was fabricated using an integrated approach combining AI-driven design and 3D printing — a breakthrough led by Professor Tang Huiping's team at Zhejiang University City College. The team merged AI-generated cellular structures with 3D printing technology to overcome key challenges in coordinating the shape and performance of large-scale lattice-skin components. Using 3D printing, the satellite's meter-level main structure was formed as a monolithic unit, reducing the number of components by 80%. This not only improved the structural reliability and consistency but also shortened manufacturing cycles and reduced costs. This mission will mark the first in-orbit validation of the reliability of a meter-level satellite main structure produced via AI-designed, 3D-printed monolithic formation. The technology opens up new pathways for rapid, customized satellite production.
2026-07-26AndroMach Completes 21 Rocket Engine Tests for Reusable Hypersonic UAV
The French defense procurement agency (DGA) announced that startup AndroMach has completed qualification testing of its Banger rocket engine at the DGA Missile Test Center in Gironde. The engine achieved 21 zero-failure ignitions and a cumulative burn time of 7 minutes, successfully demonstrating reusability. Using cryogenic liquid oxygen/propane propellant, the engine powers the "Envol" hypersonic suborbital UAV. Manufactured via metal 3D printing, the engine features complex internal geometries, reducing design iteration cycles from months to weeks. The 4-meter-long Envol vehicle, with a payload capacity of about 30 kg, takes off from a runway, ignites mid-air to accelerate to Mach 5, climbs to an altitude of 200 km, and glides back for landing. This technology supports microgravity experiments, flight technology testing, and serves as a complex trajectory target for evaluating air defense systems. The Envol demonstrator is scheduled for its first flight in 2026-2027.
2026-07-26International Low-Altitude Economy Expo 2026 held in Shanghai: 3D printing firms fill gaps in equipment manufacturing materials
From July 22 to 25, the International Low-Altitude Economy Expo 2026 took place at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center. Under the theme 'Harnessing New Low-Altitude Potential, Ushering a New Economic Chapter,' the 60,000-square-meter exhibition area brought together 452 exhibitors and 570 aircraft, with 65 debut products and technologies showcased. The low-altitude economy has evolved from a 'new growth engine' in 2024 to a 'national emerging pillar industry' in 2026, with market size exceeding 1 trillion yuan and year-on-year growth sustaining over 30%. At the expo, carbon fiber lightweight materials and 3D printing companies emerged as key forces to 'fill the gaps in equipment manufacturing materials,' with both domestic and foreign enterprises collaborating to strengthen local supply chains. The stringent weight reduction and structural efficiency requirements of low-altitude aircraft (eVTOLs, drones) have made metal 3D printing a critical manufacturing pathway for achieving integrated forming of complex structures through topology optimization and lattice design. The large-scale development of the low-altitude economy will continue to drive additive manufacturing demand for metal powders such as titanium and aluminum alloys.
2026-07-26