The International Space Station’s latest technological addition is a new three dimensional printer that is the first of its kind to be installed in space.
The International Space Station’s latest technological addition is a new three dimensional printer that is the first of its kind to be installed in space.
Almost the size of a microwave, the 3-D printer was created by Made In Space.
It was unpacked and installed inside of the Microgravity Science Glovebox on the Destiny module.
Having this kind of technology available in microgravity means that one day the International Space Station can become more self-sufficient with the ability to make tools or parts onboard, rather than having everything shipped.
Made in Space lead engineer Mike Snyder is quoted as saying: "This experiment has been an advantageous first stepping stone to the future ability to manufacture a large portion of materials and equipment in space that has been traditionally launched from Earth surface, which will completely change our methods of exploration."
Commander Barry Wilmore installed the 3-D printer, and conducted tests on the hardware and software, which showed that the system is fully functional and operational.
The 3-D printer will be used initially for testing how microgravity affects the printing process compared to how the system performed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center prior to being sent into space.
