Bringing validated additive manufacturing to the international stage of space as part of the UAE's national space delegation.
On the Global Stage
The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2026 in Antalya brings together space agencies, industry leaders, research institutions, and emerging companies from around the world. VASTARA took part as a member of the UAE Space Agency's Space Economic Zone, representing the UAE's growing ecosystem of space-sector companies alongside national partners.
For a UAE-founded additive manufacturing company, it was an opportunity to show how locally developed manufacturing capability, backed by validated material science, can support the demands of space technology.
What VASTARA Brought to the Space Sector
Space hardware is unforgiving: low mass, dimensional accuracy, material traceability, and documented performance are requirements, not preferences. VASTARA's participation highlighted its readiness to support these needs through:
- Space-sector manufacturing experience across initial projects, including waveguides, CubeSAT integration jigs, Faraday cage enclosures, thermal and air duct components, structural components, and more.
- A 1-U structured CubeSAT manufactured in carbon-fiber and graphene composites, demonstrating how composite FDM materials can serve small-satellite structures.
- A validated material science database that lets every material recommendation be defended with data rather than datasheet assumptions.
- A full digital thread, from CAD and design for additive manufacturing through material selection, printing, post-processing, and documentation, delivering the traceability the sector expects.
A Three-Way Collaboration: AUS, Intratomics, and VASTARA
At the center of VASTARA's presence at IAC 2026 was a collaboration that connects testing, materials research, and manufacturing into one pipeline:
American University of Sharjah (AUS)
Independent mechanical, electrical, and conditioning/aging testing of VASTARA's material portfolio against recognized international standards.
Intratomics (Khalifa University)
Research and development of graphene-enhanced composite filaments, including testing, validation, and datasheet development.
VASTARA Additive Manufacturing
Material selection, printability calibration, design for additive manufacturing, and production of functional parts.
Together, the three parties form a UAE-based loop: new materials are developed and characterized, validated through standardized testing, calibrated for printing, and turned into engineered components. This collaboration directs additive manufacturing toward a wider range of space applications and strengthens the technical foundation of the national space ecosystem.
Why It Matters for the UAE Space Ecosystem
Space programs depend on supply chains that are reliable, documented, and increasingly local. By combining academic testing, materials research, and an engineering-focused manufacturing partner, the UAE can shorten lead times for prototypes, jigs, enclosures, and structural components, while keeping the engineering knowledge and data within the country.
Participation at IAC 2026 positioned VASTARA as a ready, technically credible manufacturing partner for the Space Agency's ecosystem and as proof that UAE-built additive manufacturing can grow alongside the nation's space ambitions.
VASTARA Additive Manufacturing, in collaboration with the American University of Sharjah and Intratomics (Khalifa University).
