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Aerospace / Flight demonstration

JPL’s printed titanium mechanism deploys aboard a spacecraft

The JACC experiment combines several mechanical functions in a compact part tested in low Earth orbit.

Source update: Published: 3Dprintsy · AI-assisted brief
JACC’s printed titanium mechanism after deployment, recorded by the spacecraft’s camera.
JACC’s printed titanium mechanism after deployment, recorded by the spacecraft’s camera. Image: Proteus Space, via NASA JPL ↗

What happened

NASA JPL reported an orbital demonstration of its Additive Compliant Canister, or JACC, in February. The mechanism deployed from Proteus Space’s Mercury One spacecraft on February 3.

Printed titanium combines a hinge, panel and multiple spring functions into one part. An onboard camera recorded deployment, providing a direct demonstration of the mechanism beyond a laboratory test.

The design is modeled on deployable antenna structures and explores how printing can reduce part count and assembly complexity. This was a technology demonstration for future space hardware, not a claim that every spacecraft antenna can be replaced by the same mechanism.

Read the sources

Primary-source reporting; this is not a hands-on review. Sources checked Oct 24, 2026.

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