A device that recycles 3D-printed plastic waste into a material for new products may appear on board the International Space Station by the summer of 2027. This initiative was discussed by representatives of the Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, the Cosmonaut Training Center, and the Skoltech Materials Center.

The parties expressed their intention to implement joint work called “Renaissance” but stressed that there are still unresolved issues. “An assessment of possible technological risks has been carried out, and these risks have now been removed. We understand the technological manageability of the task and see that within two years we will be able to create two working samples of a device for processing filament (plastic thread, consumables for 3D printing),” said Ivan Sergeichev, the director of the Skoltech Materials Center.

Today, a 3D printer has been operating on the International Space Station since June 2022. Filament coils for the printer are delivered to orbit via Progress transport cargo ships. According to Sergeichev, it is possible to load Progresses with half as much filament, as unnecessary, damaged, or test products can be recycled on board the station.

“I believe we can reduce the volume of filament deliveries by at least half through recycling,” Sergeichev said, noting that the same plastic material can be recycled up to four times.

As Alexander Chernyavsky, advisor to the General Director of the Rocket and Space Corporation Energia emphasized in an interview, it is essential that the device be delivered to orbit within two and a half years at the latest. “We have scheduled the launch and the commencement of operations for no later than mid-2027,” he stated. Chernyavsky emphasized that even if Russia were to end its participation in the International Space Station project beyond 2028, the device would still be able to develop significant technology in one year, and a modified version would be sent to a prospective Russian space station.