Description

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is a great resource which aids in experimentation or missions. If the Astronaut is in need of some custom tool for her experiment which she just thought of or in case the one she carried was damaged, 3d printing can come to aid. Similarly, it can also be of great help in regards to spare parts onboard the ISS or the capsule in which Astronautin's astronaut is to be sent. The applications are vast! So, the idea here is that Astronautin can approach firms in the Additive manufacturing Industry to get a high quality 3d printer sponsored as well as financial support for the mission in exchange for publicity and research in microgravity. One particular research that can be done in the field of Additive manufacturing is reusability/recyclability of the 3d material. The current technology doesn't allow us to reuse the printed material to print something else. So, Astronautin can collaborate with an organisation in order to research a material that can reprinted again and again. This save volume and payload weight for future space missions. Some companies that Astronautin can approach - Stratasys 3D Systems Carbon3D ExOne Organovo Protolabs Voxeljet HP Inc.