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 * Space


SPACE FACTORIES CLOSER TO REALITY AS NEW 3D PRINTING TECH SHOWS PROMISE

WITH THIS NEW 3D PRINTER SYSTEM, ANYTHING NEEDED IN ORBIT COULD BE 3D PRINTED ON
THE SPOT.

Updated: Jan 13, 2025 09:16 AM EST
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New 3D printing system was tested on the parabolic flight.

University of Glasgow  

In a few years from now, space stations could work like factories — thanks to
advancements in 3D print technology. With these printers, anything needed in
orbit could be 3D printed on the spot.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow have developed a new 3D printing
system that can overcome the challenges of zero gravity and the vacuum of space.

To test their invention, the team took their prototype on a series of flights
aboard the “vomit comet” – an aircraft that simulates weightlessness. It is
called so due to flights’ effect on passengers as it simulates microgravity by
performing sharp ascents and descents.

Biped Robot P1: Mastering Wilderness Navigation

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The researchers believe that successful 3D printing in space could lead to
orbital factories, which could produce innovative equipment, such as antennas. 

“Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is capable of producing remarkably
complex materials quickly and at low cost. Putting that technology in space and
printing what we need for assembly in orbit would be fantastically useful,” said
Dr Gilles Bailet.

New 3D printing system. University of Glasgow


ADVANCED 3D PRINTER

Currently, all space-bound equipment is manufactured on Earth and launched into
orbit by rockets. This method faces limitations in terms of mass and volume.
Moreover, the launch process itself can be risky as sometimes it may damage
expensive payloads due to mechanical stress.

Space-based fabricators could overcome these issues. 

Unlike traditional 3D printers that use filaments, this new system utilizes a
special granular material designed to work perfectly in space. This material
flows smoothly, even in microgravity, ensuring reliable printing.



“The filaments in conventional 3D printers often break or jam in microgravity
and in vacuum, which is a problem that needs to be solved before they can be
reliably used in space. Through this research, we now have technology that
brings us much closer to being able to do that, providing positive impacts for
the whole world in the years to come,” said Bailet. 



The team successfully tested their prototype 3D printer in microgravity during
the 85th European Space Agency parabolic flight campaign in November.




BETTER PRODUCTION OF DRUGS

The research team conducted their tests on three parabolic flights, experiencing
over 90 periods of weightlessness during each flight. The results demonstrated
that the prototype functioned as intended within the challenging microgravity
environment.



Bailet added: “We’ve tested the technology extensively in the lab and now in
microgravity, and we’re confident that it’s ready to perform as expected,
opening up the possibility of 3D printing antenna and other spacecraft parts in
space. 



RECOMMENDED ARTICLES





If this works out, then space-based chemical factories could produce superior
drugs, such as insulin. This is because crystals grown in the microgravity
environment of space often exhibit larger and more uniform structures compared
to those produced on Earth.

“It has been suggested, for example, that insulin grown in space could be nine
times more effective, allowing diabetic people to inject it once every three
days instead of three times a day, as they often have to do today,” Bailet
stated in the press release. 



The developers are actively seeking funding to facilitate the first in-space
demonstration of their technology.

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ABOUT THE EDITOR

Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space
exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured
in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather
Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not
hesitate to email her.


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