Amsight leads 12-month ESA project to digitize qualification of 3D-printed space parts
Amsight has been picked to lead DIQAM, a 12-month ESA project that started in September 2026 and aims to replace the paperwork-heavy qualification of 3D-printed space hardware with a reusable digital file. The project runs under ESA’s Future Space Transportation (FLPP) team, inside the FIRST! initiative, and will be presented at the ESA Future Space Transportation Autumn Session in Paris on October 14.
The problem DIQAM targets is familiar to anyone who has shipped a flight part: qualification today leans on static PDF reports, CT scans, companion specimens and manual evidence assembly, repeated for every supplier and every part. ISPTech CEO Lukas Werling put it bluntly, saying relevant data is “often buried in extensive PDF reports,” making cross-supplier comparison nearly impossible. APWORKS CTO Andreas Funcke says compiling quality evidence for a single part currently takes several hours; DIQAM’s target is one click.
The consortium links software, launcher, propulsion, manufacturing and research expertise: ArianeGroup, InSpacePropulsion Technologies, APWORKS, Bimo Tech and Fraunhofer IAPT. The output is a space-specific reference specification, a “Digital Part Qualification File,” and a software prototype that ingests process, powder, machine, sensor, post-processing, CT and mechanical test data automatically.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Duration | 12 months, started September 2026 |
| Lead | Amsight |
| Partners | ArianeGroup, InSpacePropulsion Technologies, APWORKS, Bimo Tech, Fraunhofer IAPT |
| Demonstrators | ArianeGroup Phase Change Material container (Ariane 6), ISPTech 4U propellant tank (CubeSat) |
ESA systems engineer Daniel Chipping says the framework should “reduce redundant inspection and testing” across European space systems. ArianeGroup’s André Dröse expects it to build a better statistical database and cut future testing effort. No contract value or ESA funding figure was published.