
The First 3-D Printer in Space Makes Its First Object: A Spare Part - lelf
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/first-3-d-printer-space-makes-its-first-object-spare-n255516
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AaronFriel
The utility of this can't be understated. In space, no one can hear your call
to AAA. Like everything else with 3D printing, the first things will be small
and I doubt NASA will forego incorporating redundancy in favor of sending more
printers.

But I imagine the space (and cost) saving potential is huge here. I'm guessing
the space station requires a number of redundant and common parts. That has a
cost, a common part is more easily replaced, but has to be made to the lowest
common denominator. Niche parts have to be carried in duplicate or triplicate,
I'm sure. If someone could chime in, I'd like to know how much that's the
case.

If my supposition is true, then this means fewer parts need share common
components, and this means less weight and more room for everything else. Now
if only they could 3D print better meals and more dignified sanitation for the
brave members of the ISS, I'm sure they would appreciate that.

~~~
lucaspiller
> If someone could chime in, I'd like to know how much that's the case.

I'd be interested to know this too. I'm guessing there aren't that many vital
parts made from plastic though, unless they've secretly built the ISS out of
Lego :D

~~~
toomuchtodo
Next step would be a laser sintering device (additive metal manufacturing).
Floating powder might be a problem, but could be solved with rotating the
device to use centripetal force to hold the powder against a surface during
the process.

~~~
Someone
I doubt bringing fine metal powder to the ISS is a good idea. Any powder that
escapes (and escape it will) will end up everywhere, and can short out
electronics. Breathing it in also isn't that healthy.

~~~
gbrown
Possible stupid question: couldn't it be done outside? The machine is
autonomous anyway...

~~~
Filligree
(Disclaimer: I enjoy playing KSP.)

Then any escaped "fine metal powder" could turn into a 10,000 km/h sandblast
for the next satellite over.

It'd probably be fine for the ISS, since it's in a low enough orbit that dust
should deorbit quickly, but you'd still have the basic issue of logistics. I
can't comment on how convenient it'd be to build and operate a 3D printer in
hard vacuum, beyond "not very".

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danjayh
I wonder if they can print without using support structures? I would have
expected layer bonding to be an issue due to no gravity, but if it's really
not a problem (as indicated in the article), I think that 3D printing should
work _better_ in space.

~~~
stevenrace
I suspect you'd still need 'supports' added when slicing - as often it's not
so much gravity, but movement from the print head that causes things to go
awry.

As for layer/bed adhesion. Even here on Earth, the RepRap MendelMax/Lulzbot
[1] can print upside down. I imagine that's true for most of the units made
from aluminum extrusions. And there have already been prints done in parabolic
'zero-g' flights using a Makerbot looking printer [2].

[1]
[http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ/photos/upside_down/Lulzbot_p...](http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ/photos/upside_down/Lulzbot_product_4-8-131323.jpg)

[2]
[https://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/technologies/4/](https://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/technologies/4/)

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ourmandave
We can't say, "Tea, earl grey, hot" yet, but we can make the cup. It's a
start.

Small steps Sparks, small steps.

~~~
fudged71
You can even make a cup with your voice
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TKjj5eakao](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TKjj5eakao)

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gpvos
Not only a spare part, but a spare part _of itself._ How nicely meta. :)

~~~
ygra
Thinking about it, it's probably the first thing you should _have_ spare parts
for, given that if something breaks you cannot make more ;)

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jimktrains2
I wrote a little piece on my thoughts on 3d printing in space last year:
[http://jimkeener.com/posts/fpga-spaceflight](http://jimkeener.com/posts/fpga-
spaceflight)

I really do believe that 3d printing and malleable computing will enable long-
term space exploration.

It's extremely exciting to see the start of this!

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adamwong246
I know theres some really tantalizing ideas about using metal 3d printers
which melt powdered metal with a laser in space. By varying the composition of
the powders, it's possible to make pieces which are _gradient alloys_ \-
Imagine a pipe thats copper at one end, silver in the middle and gold on the
other. Opens up a lot of possibilities for mining asteroids.

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DontGiveTwoFlux
A few years ago I met some folks at the Huntsville, AL Hackerspace who were
working on turning the consumables into 3D printer feedstock. All of the food
containers, etc would be turned into valuable materials. Right now they have
to ship all of that waste back down to Earth. The potential for this kind of
reuse is huge.

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ommunist
Very handy to have spare parts to be 3D printed. Reminds me of the Bob Shaw's
short story "Put part A into part B", where the crew have to assemble a robot
capable of assembling anything, but it comes disassembled to the space
station.

~~~
sbierwagen
I'm not finding anything by that title written by Bob Shaw:
[http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Bob_Shaw](http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-
bin/ea.cgi?Bob_Shaw)

~~~
kristianp
Googled "short story Put part A into part B", second result is an Asimov short
story:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insert_Knob_A_in_Hole_B](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insert_Knob_A_in_Hole_B)

~~~
ommunist
That's the one, thanks. Human memory is weak, apologies. But the story plot is
quite relevant.

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mvklingeren
Even while they can 3D print, they still can't live without Duct tape up
there!

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qewrffewqwfqew
_spare, adj._

> A spare part ... is an interchangeable part that is kept in an inventory and
> used for the repair or replacement of failed units.

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_part](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_part)

> kept in reserve, as for possible use

> being in excess of present need; free for other use

[1]
[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spare?s=t](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spare?s=t)

A replacement part made on demand is by definition not "spare". Let's not have
this word go the way of "drone", please?

~~~
ygra
It wasn't made on demand, it was made as a demonstration and to have a spare.

