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An event in orbit on Monday, November 24th, marked the beginning of an era of extraterrestrial industry. 3D printer on board the International Space Station produced its first detail, reports the portal Space.com. Orbit event Monday, November 24th, marked the beginning of an extraterrestrial era industry.
3D printer designed and built by a California startup “Made in space”, created his own spare part – an extruder with 7.6 cm long disc, 3.8 cm wide and 0.6 cm thick. production lasted about an hour. The presence of a 3D printer on the space station is part of a NASA collaboration project and Made in Space. The device launched in September on aboard the private spacecraft Dragon, was installed in ISS Orbital Laboratory.
The main goal of the first phase of the project is to use 3D printer in space is a full-fledged test functioning of the device in orbit. Test objects printed in space will be compared with identical samples, produced by the apparatus on Earth. The second phase of the project will be focus on the direct use of the parts, produced by the printer on the ISS.
Made in Space Management Confident of Brilliant the future that technology awaits. Next year the company plans to launch another printer on the ISS, which will used to manufacture parts more than for testing. NASA and Made in Space are also working together on project for recycling 3D-printed garbage objects. The project can be launched on the ISS as early as 2015 or 2016. year.
ISS NASA
