Citation: Samal, S.K.; Vishwanatha, H.M.; Saxena, K.K.; Behera, A.; Nguyen, T.A.; Behera, A.; Prakash, C.; Dixit, S.; Mohammed, K.A. 3D-Printed Satellite Brackets: Materials, Manufacturing and Applications. Crystals 2022, 12, 1148. https://doi.org/10.3390/ cryst12081148 Academic Editors: Huakang Bian, Weiwei Zhou and Andrei Vladimirovich Shevelkov Received: 25 July 2022 Accepted: 13 August 2022 Published: 15 August 2022 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). crystals Review 3D-Printed Satellite Brackets: Materials, Manufacturing and Applications Saswat Kumar Samal 1 , H. M. Vishwanatha 2, * , Kuldeep K. Saxena 3 , Asit Behera 4 , Tuan Anh Nguyen 5 , Ajit Behera 1, * , Chander Prakash 6,7, * , Saurav Dixit 8,9, * and Kahtan A. Mohammed 10 1 Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, India 2 Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology-Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, GLA University, Mathura 281406, India 4 School of Mechanical Engineering, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, India 5 Institute for Tropical Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam 6 School of Mechanical Engineering, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144001, India 7 Division of Research and Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144001, India 8 Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint Petersburg, Russia 9 Division of Research and Innovation, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, India 10 Department of Medical Physics, Hilla University College, Babylon 51001, Iraq * Correspondence: vishwanatha.hm@manipal.edu (H.M.V.); beheraajit@nitrkl.ac.in (A.B.); chander.mechengg@gmail.com (C.P.); sauravarambol@gmail.com (S.D.) Abstract: Brackets are the load-bearing components in a satellite. The current age of satellites comprises specific brackets that set out as a link between the bodies of the satellite, reflector parts, and feeder facilities mounted at its upper end. Brackets are used to carry loads of the satellite body frame, supporting elements, batteries, and electronic goods. The article explicates the various brackets used in satellites and aircrafts. The strength of the bracket is of utmost importance since it is an important load supporting member in several assemblies of aircraft and satellites. In addition to the mechanical strength, the weight of the bracket is a major concern as it adds to the total weight of the aircraft and satellite. Thus, weight savings of brackets can be of paramount importance and Additive Manufacturing (AM) is found as an overall solution to achieve the same. Hence, in addition to various brackets used in satellites, the article presents an exhaustive review of the processing of various advanced functional materials using various AM techniques to make high strength-to-weight ratio satellite brackets. The use of DFAM by various satellite manufacturers globally for optimizing the structure of the brackets resulting in a significant weight saving of the brackets is also presented in the article. Keywords: additive manufacturing (AM); Selective Laser Melting (SLM); bracket; Ti-based materials; satellite; DFAM 1. Introduction Brackets are the important components of space vehicles. Brackets serve the purpose of carrying loads and supporting the structures. Mounting brackets are found in large numbers in aerospace vehicles and satellites. Due to their lightweight and thermal con- ductivity, these are generally used in satellites. Various brackets are used to carry loads of electronic goods, cameras, batteries, antennas, and various satellite components. One of the applications of a bracket used on the outer surface of the satellite is shown in Figure 1. Depending on the application, the shapes of the mounting brackets can be hanging type or supporting type [1]. On the other hand, a suitable, sturdy bracket or stand is necessary for the proper functioning of the satellite dish [2]. A sturdy wall bracket prevents the structure from being damaged. The usage of a suitable bracket has advantages like ease of assembly, Crystals 2022, 12, 1148. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12081148 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/crystals