This week, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore successfully installed and tested the first zero-gravity 3-D printer in space on the International Space Station (ISS).
The printer will eventually create tools and parts needed for ongoing maintenance and repairs of the station, reducing the astronauts' dependence on supply missions.
"This printer is a critical first step for in-space manufacturing," says Jason Crusan, director of NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Division. "Additive manufacturing with 3-D printers will allow space crews to be less reliant on supply missions from Earth and lead to sustainable, self-reliant exploration missions where resupply is difficult and costly."
After installation, Wilmore tested the printer by turning it on. The printer responded as expected and produced small plastic test pieces. After astronauts calibrate and complete testing on the printer, NASA will print its first 3-D object in space from a design sent from Earth.
The printer works by using plastic filament that can build layer upon layer to create tools and parts. Designs for these tools and parts, as well as printing commands, come from Earth.
"The goal of the first phase of printing is to verify that the 3-D printing process works the same in microgravity as it does on the ground," says Niki Werkheiser, NASA's 3-D printer project manager. "Once we confirm that the process works, we will move to the second phase of printing which focuses more on the design and utilization of the parts we print, which will ultimately lead to establishing an on-demand machine shop in space."
Of course, the main goal of the current printer is to make sure that it works properly in the microgravity of space. Space puts unseen stresses on equipment, so the idea is to learn from this first printer and create a second "more elaborate" printer that can work on Earth and in space.
NASA is also sponsoring a contest for students who want to design a 3-D printed tool for the ISS. After creating a digital 3-D model for a tool, students can send it to NASA via the Future Engineers competition. The winning student will travel to a NASA facility and watch as the ISS prints their tool. The entry deadline for the competition is December 15.
3-D printing will help create a more self-sustaining ISS, but also lends itself to other areas of space exploration, especially once we begin traveling farther, such as to Mars, which will have fewer supply missions.
