Astronauts Can Now 3-D Print in Space With This Zero-Gravity Printer

Astronauts may now be able to print in 3-D in space with the help of a new zero-gravity metal printer. This is especially useful for astronauts in the International Space Station and for future endeavors, such as maintaining equipment on space travels. 

A team of British scientists from the University of Birmingham has developed a metal 3-D printer that can even work in zero gravity conditions. This new 3-D printer has also been recently tested at the European Space Agency facilities in the "vomit comet" simulation with zero gravity.

This is a big leap toward the field of maintenance as astronauts and experts have been constantly plagued by the inevitability of having to repair materials in the space station. However, metal 3-D printing remains a difficult task that has to be solved if we want to utilize our full potential in missions to planets such as Mars. 

Luke Carter from Birmingham explained that 3-D printing in zero gravity is much more complicated than plastic-based 3-D printers. Some factors include restrained power requirements, and even have metal powder floating around the craft.

According to The Times, the scientists overcome these difficulties using a 3-D printer that uses aluminum wire instead of powders. This led to the machine to get material to be heated just above its melting point before being molded onto the desired material. The layers are then fused together using surface tension.

The recent test in the ESA simulator proved that the 3-D printer could work. However, there are a few more modifications to be made to ensure it could work in voyages in outer space. For instance, the 3Ders added that the 18-month journey to Mars will have to make sure that the metal 3D printer is working sufficiently to help ensure that the craft is well supplied and maintained. 

This is increasingly helpful as essential materials could get broken in the journey, and a 3-D printer is handy to ensure maintenance is always on its way.