3D printing possible in vacuum of space

Silicon Valley startup Made In Space has demonstrated the ability to use additive 3D printing outside the International Space Station. The company was able to print 14 different parts on board the ISS, successfully demonstrating that 3D printing can be done in microgravity. In fact, the company demonstrated that zero-G printing can be done even outside the station, in the vacuum of space.

The ability to 3D print in space means that replacement parts will no longer have to wait for infrequent - and occasionally exploding - resupply rockets. Instead, the station can be stocked with a large quantity of polymers or other raw materials and rebuild parts as needed. Given that the current cost per kilo to lift any object into space is around $4,100 for SpaceX's Falcon 9, which is by far the cheapest way to get cargo to space as it stands, and that resupply missions can be months away, it makes sense to allow astronauts and cosmonauts to make their own tools and parts on the fly.

In addition to replacing tools and parts, Made In Space and NanoRacks have partnered to start an even more ambitious project: assembly and production of small satellites in orbit. The partnership is expected to allow for CubeSats - small, 1L volume research satellites - to be customized while on the ISS or other space station, allowing for greater responsiveness in research needs. The basic CubeSats would be launched into orbit en masse, and then custom instrumentation would be attached there in response to customer needs. Ultimately, the goal of the venture is to manufacture satellites and robots in space on-demand.

See a comparison table of selected 3D printer suppliers on GlobalSources.com