Virgin Galactic Flies 3D Printer Into Space. Its Next Mission: Bioprinting on the ISS (berkeley.edu) 13
"In a significant advancement for space technology, a team of UC Berkeley researchers, led by doctoral student Taylor Waddell, successfully launched a 3D printer into space," reports the university's student newspaper:
As part of the Virgin Galactic 07 mission, the team sent a 3D printer named SpaceCAL to space to explore the potential of Computed Axial Lithography, or CAL, and additive manufacturing in space... During its 140-second flight in suborbital space, the SpaceCAL printer autonomously detected microgravity and printed four test parts: two space shuttles and two Benchies, or 3D-printed boats created to check the printer's accuracy, according to Sean Chu, a member of the team who worked on designing structures and mechanisms. Within the 140 seconds, the process involved multiple steps such as printing, post-washing, flushing with water and post-curing with light to fully solidify the parts.
But that's just the beginning, says the university's engineering department: To date, CAL has shown that it can successfully print with more than 60 different materials on Earth, such as silicones, glass composites and biomaterials. According to Waddell, this versatility could come in handy for both the cabin and the crew... "CAL is also capable of repairing the crew. We can print dental replacements, skin grafts or lenses, or things personalized in emergency medicine for astronauts, which is very important in these missions, too."
Someday, CAL may be used to print even more sophisticated parts, such as human organs. Lawrence Livermore National Lab has received a grant from NASA to test this technology on the International Space Station. "They're going to basically do bioprinting on the Space Station," said Waddell. "And the long, long-term goal is to print organs up in space with CAL, then bring them back down to Earth." Next, Waddell and his colleagues hope to begin work with NASA on developing and validating a single object that could support crew health and wellness, like a dental crown for an astronaut or a surgical wound closure tool...
This project was made possible through a $1.4 million grant and engineering support provided by NASA. In addition, Virgin Galactic played a pivotal role in taking this project to the next level.
But that's just the beginning, says the university's engineering department: To date, CAL has shown that it can successfully print with more than 60 different materials on Earth, such as silicones, glass composites and biomaterials. According to Waddell, this versatility could come in handy for both the cabin and the crew... "CAL is also capable of repairing the crew. We can print dental replacements, skin grafts or lenses, or things personalized in emergency medicine for astronauts, which is very important in these missions, too."
Someday, CAL may be used to print even more sophisticated parts, such as human organs. Lawrence Livermore National Lab has received a grant from NASA to test this technology on the International Space Station. "They're going to basically do bioprinting on the Space Station," said Waddell. "And the long, long-term goal is to print organs up in space with CAL, then bring them back down to Earth." Next, Waddell and his colleagues hope to begin work with NASA on developing and validating a single object that could support crew health and wellness, like a dental crown for an astronaut or a surgical wound closure tool...
This project was made possible through a $1.4 million grant and engineering support provided by NASA. In addition, Virgin Galactic played a pivotal role in taking this project to the next level.
finally the tech of 3D printing in space (Score:1)
Humanity can now make Yoda heads, in space.
Re:finally the tech of 3D printing in space (Score:4, Insightful)
Sure, Tons of Toys.
Also wrenches, spare parts and arguably potentially saving millions of dollars by storing generic building material as opposed to rarely used parts. Potentially life saving like in Apollo 13. No round peg for a square hole? no problem
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Dreamy eyed marketing spew at this point. They already have wrenches, proton decay won't make those disappear. The specs of printed parts might be unsuitable for human rated aerospace applications
Made In Space put a 3D printer on the ISS in 2014. (Score:2)
We nearly got to print a Zero-G glass on it before NASA found out it was based on a cocktail glass⦠Bioprinting may be new but this is not the first 3D printer in space.
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Maybe they scanned an existing trademarked design? Which would be silly and difficult with it being made of transparent glass and being an extremely simple shape. But it's too late to cancel my comment now. I'll just have to end by shaming myself.
Suborbital (Score:2)
55 miles above the earth for a couple of minutes. I hope their science experiments were fast.
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If only there was some sort of summary that mentioned what was done and the time frame it was done in.
Virgin Galactic has NEVER been to Space (Score:2)
Space is >100 km above us. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/t... [nasa.gov]
"point where we consider spacecraft and astronauts to have entered space, known as the Von Karman Line – is only 62 miles (100 kilometers) above sea level."
Virgin Galactic “spaceflight company” never been there.
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Yes but from what I understand the technology behind it did and won the Ansari X Prize
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While a true statement, that's largely irrelevant. The original SpaceShipOne did get over the Karman line (100 km) and claimed the X-Prize. But that was 20 years ago. The present SpaceShipTwo is larger (for carrying passengers), but doesn't fly as high. (Even without passengers, I don't think SS2 can hit 100 km altitude.) The team responsible for the X-Prize win (in particular Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites) has alm
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It's kind of like when Universal Pictures didn't even have global movie distribution yet. It's just a big-sounding name for some very expensive entertainment.
Unfortunately it's an HP printer (Score:2)
So it needs to be connected to the internet to work, and ink costs $10,000/ml.