In the future, everything will no longer need to be transported to space ready-made from Earth, but will be possible to manufacture on site
The first object printed in space by a 3D printeris now a fact, as announced by the American Space Agency, which described the development as "historic". In the future, everything will no longer need to be transported to space ready-made from Earth, but it will be possible to manufacture it on site, something valuable for future manned space missions.
A rectangular plastic plate - a spare part for the printer itself - with the inscription "Madein Space/NASA" was just printed by American astronaut Barry Wilmore on the International Space Station (ISS). The command to print was sent to the printer from the control center on Earth, and the astronaut simply removed the object from the printer.
NASA said it is paving the way for the ISS to print its own parts, which until now have to be transported from Earth. In the distant future, this capability will be used more widely for space travel and for setting up bases on other planets or satellites.
For now, however, the ISS is the only place in spacewhere 3D printing can be tested and improved. The first objects printed in space will be examined by NASA in 2015 when they return to Earth for analysis, according to Agence France-Presse.
The 3D printer, which was transported to the International Space Station about two months ago, was provided by the California company "Made in Space", which specializes in the technology of manufacturing objects in zero-gravity conditions.
About 20 objects will be printed on the ISS in the next few interplanetary flights, while exact copies of them will be printed at the company's headquarters, so that they can then be compared with those produced in space. A problem has already become apparent: during the printing of the first object, some of the plastic material (which replaces conventional printer ink) stuck to the printer, which may mean that weightlessness has a negative effect on 3D printing.
Made in Space, in collaboration with NASA, is set to install a much larger professional 3D printer on the ISS in 2015. At the same time, the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to send a similar machine to the ISS next year.
Source: protothema.gr
