Three dimensional printing was developed years ago and has been in use for a time. There have been such advancements that a three dimensional object, based on CAD drawings and other digital content, can be produced in a few hours and for as low as $100 US. According to Gizmag.com
The eventual and earthly goal is for 3D printers to be affordable for use in the home, where real objects can be designed and “printed”, or where design templates can be modified to suit individual preferences and tastes.
The printing process builds the object, layer by layer, with various powders and bonding agents, and can be incorporated with full color to make incredible arrays of objects and assemblies. Several major companies have the systems, including Northrup Grumman, Fisher Price and Harley Davidson.
The latest version is sold by Z Corp for around $25,000 US. Z Corp has a webcast for those who are interested in knowing the details of the process.
Now, on to space! A new company, called Made in Space is proposing the idea of manufacturing space station and satellite parts in space, rather than on the ground, where the costs and risks of getting them into position are much greater. The assembly would be done in zero gravity, which would introduce new possibilities for the printing process and for saving money.
And printing in space would save a whole lot of money, since parts built on the ground must be built to withstand the launch and rigors of getting them into space. Without having to add in all of that engineering and material, the parts would logically seem to be much cheaper to produce at the site.
Taking it further, the technology would help with projects on the moon or other planets by printing out robot parts supplies, equipment, or building materials. Objects have already been printed with metal and concrete, so structures of any size are not out of the question.
Going even farther, by collecting and processing the metals and raw materials from the Moon or a planet’s surface, there would be no need to carry massive amounts of raw material to distant locations. Otherwise, only the “feedstock”, as the raw material is called, would have to be shipped into space.
Why is the idea of 3D printing of space parts in the news as something that could happen soon? It is all because of a firm called Made in Space.
Made in Space was founded by Jason Dunn and others who attended Singular University at NASA Ames Research Center for a conference about space manufacturing. After some planning and a business set up, the group is planning to start their first in-space tests by mid 2011, according to SPACE.com.
How this will play out is the question that a lot of investors and planners would like to have answered, since this may be one of the breakthroughs that will be needed in order to make much more progress in space exploration, scientific study, production processes and settlement.
