Beijing, China - June 11, 2020 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. 3D printer once installed on China's experimental manned spacecraft Long March-5B
2. Printed sample of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) logo

FILE: In Space - May 6, 2020 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Various of printer in operation

Beijing, China - June 11, 2020 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Yi, deputy head technologist, space 3D printing system project, China Academy of Space Technology Corporation (CAST), China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) (starting with shot 3/ending with shot 5):
"Without gravity, materials will not fall directly on the substrate. Then in order to ensure that the material can be attached to the substrate and the printing can proceed in a microgravity environment, we used a special film material to achieve a strong adhesion with the composite interface. Even when it bore a huge impact while the capsule returned, the sample part and the substrate remained firmly bonded."

FILE: In Space - May 6, 2020 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Printer in operation

Beijing, China - June 11, 2020 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Staff member adjusting samples
7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Yi, deputy head technologist, space 3D printing system project, China Academy of Space Technology Corporation (CAST), China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) (starting with shot 6):
"The completion of 3D printing in space is actually to achieve space manufacturing. We are the first to use a continuous filament reinforced composite material, principally because the composite material is the main load-bearing structure material of the spacecraft."
8. Sample in display box

The samples printed in space by a 3D printing system installed inside the reentry capsule of China's experimental manned spacecraft Long March-5B made the first public appearance on camera on Friday.

Independently developed by China, the 3D printer automatically completed the task of printing two samples, a hive-shaped part and a logo of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), during space flight, confirming the scientific research purpose of 3D printing composite materials in a microgravity environment.

According to the research and development team, the 3D printing system, its work process was entirely automatically controlled, achieved several technological breakthroughs.

"Without gravity, materials will not fall directly on the substrate. Then in order to ensure that the material can be attached to the substrate and the printing can proceed in a microgravity environment, we used a special film material to achieve a strong adhesion with the composite interface. Even when it bore a huge impact while the capsule returned, the sample part and the substrate remained firmly bonded," said Chen Yi, deputy head technologist of the space 3D printing system of the China Academy of Space Technology Corporation (CAST) under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The researchers will further compare and analyze the samples printed in space and on earth by carrying out various performance tests and investigating the impact of the microgravity environment on the performance of composite materials, so as to comprehensively evaluate the molding quality of 3D printing in space.

"The completion of 3D printing in space is actually to achieve space manufacturing. We are the first to use a continuous filament reinforced composite material, principally because the composite material is the main load-bearing structure material of the spacecraft," said Chen.