NASA Tests Feasibility of 3D Printing on the Moon and Other Planets 58
ErnieKey writes A major application of 3d printing that could revolutionize space travel would be using 3d printers to create structures on non-terrestrial bodies like the moon, other planets, and even asteroids. Researchers from NASA's Kennedy Space Center have been working to develop solutions to materials issues, and recently presented initial findings on the potential for using in-situ materials like basalt for 3D printing. Their innovative method is based on only using in-situ supplies, and not materials that need to be brought into space.
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WTF is "in-situ"? Is that even in english because that is the first time in my life that I see that.
Here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I... [wikipedia.org] Please read that...
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This is an English language website. The term in-situ is something that I would expect at least an educated person from an English language country to understand perfectly. There is a large amount of the English language a none native speaker might not understand, that is no reason not to use it on an English language website. If there is something you don't understand Google if heavens sake.
I am quite sure if I demanded that the French used simple French on their websites so I could understand it they woul
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I studied chemistry in a non-English-speaking country and in situ was a known term. It means that a specific compound needed in a reaction is made in the same vessel as the synthesis continues, not separated and transferred to another flask. Example: reacting sodium with ethanol to produce sodium ethoxide followed by transesterification.
On site would in deed mean that something was prepared in the same laboratory or even the same fume cupboard.
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Please understand that in-situ is an english phrase that came from latin. It does not mean the same as on-site. On-site just means the stuff is there, it could have been put there by an earlier mission. In-situ means the stuff is in the place it was originally found.
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The only thing dead here is the mass between your ears.
The saddest thing about morons is that that they think their moronic nature is a matter of pride, and not shame.
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Except that in-situ is an English word. It's origins are Latin, but then again, so is a vast amount of the English vocabulary.
We have these things called dictionaries. Rather than demonstrating intense stupidity, inform yourself first.
Oh right, this is /., where ignorance is a matter of pride.
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Re:WTF (Score:5, Funny)
Latin is a dead language, please understand that.
People keep repeating this line ad-nauseum, spouting 'language is dead', etcetera. They might have bona-fide complaints, but maybe they're an alias for a different annoyance, perhaps that they didn't pay enough attention in school circa 9th grade to maintain a simple conversation on a site known to attract tech-lovers. Ergo this problem will not be solved quickly.
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Well played. Somebody mod this guy up.
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Latin is also a lingua franca, a common language to use among people who speak different languages. All intellectuals know some Latin but because there are no native speakers, nobody's living language is being favored.
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In fairness, the "in-situ" materials are the components inside the 3D printer, not materials in the immediate vicinity.
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So you must be around four years old then.
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Get a better life.
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If we were all communicating by hand-written letters two hundred years ago, you would still loook it up in a dictionary first.
The biggest problem is fluid dynamics. (Score:2, Interesting)
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The solution is easy: print in 3D using liquid magnets.
With an Arduino, in the Cloud, synergetically, with Bennett.
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The solution is easy: print in 3D using liquid magnets.
With an Arduino, in the Cloud, synergetically, with Bennett.
Delivered disruptively via Uber, of course.
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As I recall the toy-grade plastic-extruding 3D printer recently sent to the ISS is working just fine, despite the 0g. As was expected - the things were tested in all orientations, including upside down, here on Earth. If it works fine even when gravity is working against you, it will probably continue to work fine when gravity is "ignoring" you.
Basically the bonding forces between layers are strong enough that, even when the top layer is still liquid, that gravity doesn't play much of a roll. It's not li
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What on earth do you mean by "toy grade"?
If you mean FDM, then it would be quite hilarious to refer to a Stratasys for example as "toy grade". Either that or you can afford much better toys than me.
The thing that actually went up there also does not look like "toy grade" either:
http://www.nasa.gov/content/in... [nasa.gov]
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Sure, it's an expensive toy - far more than *I* would be willing to pay certainly - but it squirts plastic out of a nozzle to make weak, crude plastic "toys". Arguably useful, especially when you're $4k/pound away from the nearest general store, but not remotely in the same league as the professional-grade printers working in laser-cured resin, sintered titanium, high temperature ceramics, etc.
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Sure, it's an expensive toy - far more than *I* would be willing to pay certainly - but it squirts plastic out of a nozzle to make weak, crude plastic "toys". Arguably useful, especially when you're $4k/pound away from the nearest general store, but not remotely in the same league as the professional-grade printers working in laser-cured resin, sintered titanium, high temperature ceramics, etc.
Stratasys are the single largest 3D printer company and they sell pretty mich exclusively to businesses. I.e. they'
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Just watched Interstellar and let me tell you, *spoiler*
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It is all about the mass ration of the equipment versus the product to be produced. So for a permanent moon base the first and major extruded element will be the soon to be buried (buried as being the quickest way to provide the most protection from micro impacts) structure itself and the more mechanical elements of the moon base would be taken from dismantled landing craft. Of course how do they get back if they take apart their landing craft, easy, the next one that they do not pull apart. So save lots o
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Biggest problem is getting someone to haul the equipment over to the moon.
Of course not! We'll just print the printer when we get there!
Oh, wait...
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Moon has about 1/6 g, not 0.001g.
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I'm pretty sure the moon is heavier than 1/6 of a gram.
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g is also a unit of acceleration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G... [wikipedia.org]
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g is also a unit of acceleration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G... [wikipedia.org]
I prefer to say that g is gravitational field strength in N/kg. It is equal to the acceleration of a free falling object, but I think it is clearer to think of it as the number of newtons of gravitational force one gets per kg in the field. Of course, 1N/kg is the same as 1m/s^2.
RTFA (Score:2)
Because of these issues, researchers at NASA KSC have been studying a very intuitive method of 3D printing on the surfaces of other planets. Their method is very similar to that of large industrial selective laser sintering 3D printers, which lay down layers of material that are then sintered (melted and hardened) by heat lasers.
They are not talking about using liquids at all
Step 1, Get There; I volunteer (Score:2)
Marketing (Score:2)
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April Fool's already? (Score:2)
If you RTF, the pictures are of 3D printed poop piles. Either it is joke, or a commentary about the utility of 3D printing. Either way, it pretty much sums up my opinion about most 3D printing hype.
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Either it is joke, or a commentary about the utility of 3D printing.
Or it says something about what you think a poop pile looks like, in which case you may need to see a doctor.
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Actually, today's plethora of space-related articles is a test I suggested several weeks ago: let's design an experiment which will determine whether Space Nutter Troll is a bot or a person. If we can induce a plausible psychotic episode by the end of today, we will have proven it to be a person.
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At least it's not a giant CHA...
so the Robots will grow Robots (Score:2)
Enough of this! (Score:2)
Enough of this 3D printing malarkey. When are they going to find out if ants can be trained to sort tiny screws in space?
Stupid headline (Score:2)