A satellite built using knitting machines normally reserved for sweaters has successfully reached orbit, challenging long held assumptions about how spacecraft must be made. The unconventional spacecraft, known as CarbSAR, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California and is already sending signals back to Earth, according to Popular Mechanics.
At first glance, CarbSAR looks like any other compact Earth observation satellite. Developed by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd in partnership with Oxford Space Systems, the satellite carries a synthetic aperture radar system capable of imaging the ground at roughly 50 centimeter resolution. That makes it suitable for military reconnaissance, maritime monitoring, and disaster response. Technically, its imaging performance is not revolutionary.
What sets CarbSAR apart is how its antenna was built. Instead of rigid metal panels, engineers used knitted mesh sheets made from tungsten wire coated in gold. These sheets were produced on standard industrial knitting machines similar to those used in clothing factories. The resulting material is precise enough to function as a radar surface while remaining flexible and lightweight.
The knitted mesh is stretched over carbon fiber ribs arranged radially around the satellite. Together, they form what engineers call a Wrapped Rib Antenna. During launch, the ribs are tightly packed, allowing the entire roughly 300 pound spacecraft to compress into a volume just 75 centimeters across. Once in orbit, stored strain energy causes the ribs to unfold, pulling the knitted mesh into a three meter wide parabolic dish.
This simplicity is intentional. According to Oxford Space Systems engineers, reducing the number of moving parts lowers the risk of mechanical failure. The antenna must deploy reliably every time, without tearing itself apart or stalling mid deployment, a balance that required careful tuning of materials and tension. “It’s a very standard, off?the?shelf industrial machine used for knitting jumpers,” Amool Raina, OSS production lead, told New Scientist. “All we’ve done is add some bells and whistles to let it stitch our special yarns.”
The concept may sound experimental, but it is already delivering results. The companies behind CarbSAR have confirmed receipt of initial signals, indicating that the antenna deployed as planned. That early success has drawn attention from the UK Ministry of Defence, which has expressed interest in deploying a larger network of similar satellites if the mission continues to perform well.
Beyond this single spacecraft, the project hints at a broader shift in satellite design. As demand grows for compact, affordable radar satellites, deployable structures made from unconventional materials could offer a way to pack large capabilities into small launch volumes.
If CarbSAR continues to operate as intended, knitting may move from an unexpected novelty to a practical manufacturing technique for future space systems. In an industry obsessed with precision machining and rigid components, a satellite built like a sweater may signal a quieter revolution in how spacecraft are designed, built, and launched.