'Maker' Ideas Wanted for First 3D Printer In Space

[Buster's Uncle]

'Maker' Ideas Wanted for First 3D Printer In Space
SPACE.com
By Denise Chow, Staff Writer  15 hours ago



Made in Space's prototype 3D printer, which is bound for the International Space Station in 2014


 
NEW YORK — A California-based company that will launch a 3D printer to the International Space Station in 2014 is aim

ing to change the way space agencies think about how they transport goods to the orbiting outpost. But, using a machine to spit out spare parts for the space station is only the beginning.



Made in Space co-founder and chief strategy officer Mike Chen discusses his company's 3D printer


Built by the firm Made in Space, Inc., the will launch to the space stationaboard commercial spaceflight provider SpaceX's Dragon capsule. The mission will largely be a proof-of-concept flight, in which astronauts will use the device to demonstrate its functionality in the microgravity environment, Mike Chen, Made in Space co-founder and chief strategy officer, told an audience at in Queens here Saturday (Sept. 21).

While astronauts will initially use the to create spare parts and tools for the space station. Made in Space is hoping "makers" on Earth will get a chance to flex their creativity by coming up with designs for science experiments, innovative projects and artwork.

"Once our printer is there, we're going to be opening it up to the world to print things in space," Chen said, while openly soliciting ideas and encouraging people to contact the company with thoughts.

If all goes well, a permanent version of the 3D printer will be launched to the International Space Station in 2015.

"The paradigm shift that we want everyone to understand is: instead of launching things to space, just print it there," Chen said. "Why would you go through all the energy to build it here and launch it, when you can just build it there?"

Made in Space was founded in 2010 with the mission of broadening access to space. "t's really expensive and difficult to launch things into space, and that puts a real dampening effect on innovation," Chen said.

Having a capability on the International Space Station will open up possibilities for the materials that can be produced in orbit, and the types of experiments that can be performed in space.

"Everything that you launch is going to have to withstand up to 9Gs in the rocket and crazy vibrations," Chen said. "Things in space are vastly over-engineered, really, for the first 8 minutes of its existence. Think about what you can do now that you have 3D printing capabilities on orbit. For the first time, we'll be able to design things for space that don't ever have to exist in a gravity environment."


http://news.yahoo.com/maker-ideas-wanted-first-3d-printer-space-110951229.html

[Unorthodox]

So, I can get them to print a nifty skull to float around? 

[Unorthodox]

Seriously, though, IIRC this thing is a plastic printer.  We're just not fiddling with a few parts that have been 3d printed, and learning what their tolerances are in motors and things here on earth.  Who knows what they'll be able to do up there. 

THIS is where the asteroid mining has such great potential.  A 3d printer able to utilize ore from space, IN space. 

[Geo]

THIS is where the asteroid mining has such great potential.  A 3d printer able to utilize ore from space, IN space.

True. Too bad there ain't 'roid-harvested ores yet.

[Unorthodox]

Oh, one of the things will eventually get going.  Just continuing to point out the whole returning the ore to earth is idiotic/cost inhibitive/etc. 

[Geo]

Bit of the chicken or egg dilemma here.
Do we launch a refinery in orbit/space to process asteroid ore, or drop it down to the surface where all the refineries already are, plus the distribution network?
I see the merit of processing the ore needed in orbit in-situ, but I also reckon in the end most of those space metals would be used on the surface. Ore might be easier to bring down then refined metals. It should need way less protection/shielding then processed stuff or, god forbid, equipment made in orbiral manufacturing plants.

[Unorthodox]

You don't just drop a rock of the raw stuff though.  I really don't see returning ANYTHING ever being cost effective to be honest.  The point would be to make it up there to keep it up there. 

The one metal printer I've seen was practically it's own refinery, but way too small scale for what we're talking. 

[Geo]

You don't just drop a rock of the raw stuff though.  I really don't see returning ANYTHING ever being cost effective to be honest.  The point would be to make it up there to keep it up there. 

The one metal printer I've seen was practically it's own refinery, but way too small scale for what we're talking.

A 3D printer and refinery combined? How the heck is that done? Scaling is just that, a matter of scale. If it can be build small, it should sure be possible to build bigger.

While Earth indeed posesses all the metals humanity may ever need, there's a good chance if ever the whole world population gets to first-world standards of living, we'd need to drill down to the Mohorovicic Discontinuity...

About dropping stuff down, ever read Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy?

[Unorthodox]

A 3D printer and refinery combined? How the heck is that done? Scaling is just that, a matter of scale. If it can be build small, it should sure be possible to build bigger.

I don't remember the particulars.  I think it was a laser being used, but whatever it was, it was tuned to the frequency of the target metal, so only IT was melted, and then fed through the printer, the rest was extruded out the side.  From memory, off a demo video seen in person.  Real small scale, I think it was just sorting dust, for instance.  They were able to make alloys by combining different frequencies to combine different dusts, IIRC. 

[Geo]

A 3D printer and refinery combined? How the heck is that done? Scaling is just that, a matter of scale. If it can be build small, it should sure be possible to build bigger.

I don't remember the particulars.  I think it was a laser being used, but whatever it was, it was tuned to the frequency of the target metal, so only IT was melted, and then fed through the printer, the rest was extruded out the side.  From memory, off a demo video seen in person.  Real small scale, I think it was just sorting dust, for instance.  They were able to make alloys by combining different frequencies to combine different dusts, IIRC.

I see. Quite energy intensive thus.
And I reckon the residue is reused after it gets converted to a base material again. More energy.