NASA's 3D Printer Churns Out First Part in Space

NASA's newly installed 3-D printer on the International Space Station created the world's first object using additive manufacturing in outer space. The white-colored faceplate stating "MADE IN SPACE NASA" is attached to the outside of the printer's head casing.

The point of NASA's experiment is to demonstrate the ability of 3-D printers to create replacement parts in space. As such, the printer created a replacement faceplate for one of its own parts out of plastic. Some of the piece stuck to the tray upon its removal, unexpectedly, which scientists say is part of the learning curve in microgravity.

Engineers on the ground study the additive manufacturing process on the International Space Station through video feeds of the printer. The printer should create 20 items in the coming weeks as ground-based scientists control the experiment by communicating instructions to the printer. Engineers will analyze the physical objects when crews return the creations to Earth. The exact same objects are printed in normal conditions in California to serve as comparisons to the outer-space versions. NASA plans to install a full-sized, and much bigger, 3-D printer sometime in 2015 after completion of tests on the first print run.

The space agency wants to create an "on-demand machine shop" for the orbiting station in hopes that a 3-D printer can replace broken parts within a few days rather than waiting for a resupply mission that could take months. The initial 20-part run tests low-temperature plastic manufacturing in space, which can be a critical component of deep-space missions where replacement parts cannot be delivered at all.

NASA's experiments also demonstrate that 3-D printers are not just for large-scale manufacturers that design custom parts. If the International Space Station can install such a device, small businesses can do the same thing. Companies on Earth already apply this rapidly growing technology to innovate several industries. Surgeons can practice risky medical procedures on custom-made models of a patient's internal tissues. Some devices even use organic materials to print soft tissue models for doctors. Pratt & Whitney plans to use printed objects in airplane engines starting in 2015. Other aerospace companies have been custom printing nonessential parts for years.

Small businesses capitalize on this technology to help shoppers make custom toys and cellphone cases. Prices go down and sophistication gets better when demand skyrockets as more firms buy into the concept of 3-D machines. Manufacturing is taken away from large companies in China when American consumers see specialized objects made before their eyes. Manufacturers can eliminate heavy equipment costs by as much as 30 percent with this new method. Saving costs reduces prices and increases profits simultaneously.

NASA has innovated new technology in the past, such as battery-powered portable tools and Velcro. This time, 3-D printers created for Earth-based operations are teaching engineers how to streamline processes in outer space, so human space exploration can reach farther and achieve goals never thought possible.

Photo courtesy of Keith Kissel at Flickr.com