3D printing technology has been making waves on Earth but it appears that 3D printers could also play crucial role in space mission as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed that it will send a zero-gravity 3D printer to the International Space Station (ISS) for use by astronauts working in orbit.
NASA said that the 3D printer, which was designed to be operated in microgravity, is set for launch toward the ISS aboard the unmanned Dragon cargo capsule of the SpaceX-4's resupply mission on Sept. 19 for the 3-D Printing In Zero-G Technology Demonstration, an experiment that aims to demonstrate that a 3-D printer could work normally in space. The space agency wants to assess whether or not 3-D printing in zero gravity can result in the creation of objects that are as strong and as accurate as those made by a 3D printer on Earth.
In a statement released on Tuesday, NASA said that the 3D printer, which is about the size of a small microwave could change the way the agency does things in the space station. It may, for instance, reduce the need for the astronauts to wait for resupply missions to the ISS to get their hands on essential items.
The long-term objective of the experiment is to come up with a machine shop that astronauts can use in space such as for creating replacement tools and parts for broken items. Such technology could reduce costs and risks on the station and may even be crucial with space missions that are farther away from the Earth.
Ken Cooper, head of the Advanced Manufacturing Team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama said that while NASA is good at planning for component problems and contingencies, scenarios that have not been anticipated may still possibly occur.
"That's where a 3-D printer in space can pay off. While the first experiment is designed to test the 3-D printing process in microgravity, it is the first step in sustaining longer missions beyond low-Earth orbit," Cooper said.
NASA also plans to glean insights from the 3-D Printing In Zero-G experiment for use in a more advanced printer called Additive Manufacturing Facility, or AMF, that will allow not only the U.S. space agency to print parts on space. It will also serve as the first facility that could give anyone on Earth the chance to manufacture items in space.
