^{På grunn av det ekstremt kule temaet semi-bumper jeg denne tråden.}

Printe verktøy i verdensrommet?

"Made in Space, a Silicon Valley startup located at the NASA Ames Research Center, aims to get a 3D printer into the International Space Station by 2014. Why make parts in orbit? It’s practical: Maintenance of the International Space Station (ISS) currently requires expensive rocket launches to carry replacement parts and tools into space.

With the ending of the US Space Shuttle program, the US currently has to rely on other countries for supplying the space station. If the ISS had a 3D printer and a ready supply of feedstock (the plastic, metal, or even concrete “ink” used by the printer), the most the astronauts would need from Earth is an email with a CAD (computer-aided design -Tawon) file of the part they want."

Tekst hentet fra denne artikkelen. For tilleggsinformasjonens skyld så nevner jeg at ISS også har en robonaut ombord. Denne teknologien altså!