Developing a Digital Twin to Model Fatigue in 3D-Printed Spacecraft Parts

April 2, 2026

The rapid production of custom components for rockets and satellites is often essential to support design modifications, repairs, and operational needs in space travel. Additive manufacturing can provide an effective solution, but optimization of the design, production and testing processes is crucial to maintain the quality and reliability of 3D-printed components.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University completed their first successful challenge of a spacecraft part — pictured here — through the NASA Space Technology Research Institute, which will advance efforts to optimize additive manufacturing of custom components. (Image: Carnegie Mellon University)

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have completed their first successful production of a challenge part through their Institute for Model-based Q&C of Additive Manufacturing (IMQCAM) that will advance efforts to achieve these outcomes. This part is representative of components used in aeroengines while being non-proprietary and is expected to be capable of sustaining loads at elevated temperatures. The digital twin that is being developed through this project will model fatigue evolution in this challenge part for incorporation in the qualification and certification (Q&C) process.

The IMQCAM is a NASA Space Technology Research Institute (STRI) that is co-led by CMU materials science and engineering professor Anthony Rollett and Somnath Ghosh, professor of civil and systems engineering and mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Established in 2023, the effort seeks to shorten the cycle required to design, manufacture, and test custom vehicle parts that can withstand the conditions of space travel through the development of models for qualification and certification. By developing a digital twin through this project, NASA will ultimately be able to use computer based-integrated models to accurately predict fatigue performance of spacecraft parts.

Throughout this project, there are components based on processing, modeling, and verification. With Carnegie Mellon taking the lead in the processing element, researchers implemented a design set forth by their partners at Pratt & Whitney in order to test the computer-based multiscale models of performance and life that are being developed by Johns Hopkins.

“The main concern is the consistency of the product, so one of the ultimate tests is to demonstrate that our models work for printing something that is representative of the complexity of an actual part,” said Rollett. Acknowledging this, Ghosh adds that the robust integration of physics-based modeling with AI/ML and uncertainty quantification makes this digital twin a robust platform for tackling this challenge.

An aerial view of the completed challenge part on the build plate shows the design to test digital twin modeling and fatigue performance. (Image: Carnegie Mellon University)

The test part will now be verified to confirm its ability to sustain a variety of mechanical loads, temperatures, and conditions. While there were no obvious defects externally, test samples will be analyzed to ensure there are no internal defects and that the mechanical properties, particularly fatigue, meet the necessary standards. Non-contact measurements will be gathered through interferometric techniques, and the part will be re-measured once it has been cut from the build plate to determine any impacts of residual stress. The part will also be heat treated to bring it closer to a product that a company might use.

The CMU team plans to print additional iterations of the part with a greater variety of conditions, to further enhance the printing process and product properties. The first version was created using a standard titanium alloy with 6 percent aluminum and 4 percent vanadium, but eventually the part will be printed with nickel alloy 718, a superalloy known for its excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.

This article was written by Monica Cooney for Carnegie Mellon University. For more information, contact Monica, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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