It will print in zero gravity orbit and other planets

Sep 18, 2014 13:58 GMT  ·  By

3D printing technology is believed to be the way that manufacturing and construction will be carried out beyond the planet's atmosphere. NASA is particularly enamored with the idea, which is why it will be all over the product that Made in Space is about to reveal.

The company will launch a certain 3D printer on Saturday, September 20. A 3D printer that can function just fine in zero gravity.

The product will be the face of NASA's Zero-G Project which, as described by Project Manager Niki Werkheiser, will be the groundwork for a new type of contraption called Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF).

The special 3D printer from Made in Space has been tested on parabolic flights, basically planes that reach a descent velocity that negates the feeling of gravity.

The tests were successful and promising, but they only provided 20-30 seconds of microgravity, which means that the real trial by fire will be on the ISS (International Space Station).

Even if the first product proves to be a bust, though, the technology is bound to go forward and be perfected regardless. I'll be sure to keep an eye on it from here on Earth. Who knows, maybe an AMF will build an actual moon base, or the Martian equivalent, during my lifetime.