ESA's Recent Developments in the Field of 3D-Printed RF/Microwave Hardware

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is considered a strategic technology for space applications specifically enabling breakthrough developments of RF hardware. The implementation of AM will allow RF hardware manufacturers to enhance significantly the performance of their products. The assessment of different AM approaches has already started and will consider the whole process chain, including design, material supply, processing, post processing, qualification and verification, and standardization. This paper will present the past and current developments in the field of 3D printing for RF/Microwave hardware. Future activities will also be presented.