NASA to print equipment on 3D printers

3D printing is one of the major inventions of our day. The first 3D printer appeared in 1986, and the technology has made great strides since then. It is nowadays used even in the space industry.\n

NASA spokespersons announced plans to abandon the current technology of earth-space sensors and communication modules production in favor of 3D printing. These units are currently manufactured in the conventional way: they are assembled from a variety of parts.

Since the units are small-sized (smaller than a smartphone), their manufacture is very time-consuming and expensive involving numerous breakdowns.

3D printing will, on the other hand, enable to optimise the process by producing the entire product as one piece. This transition should result in a shorter production time, a lower percentage of rejects and reduced power consumption.

Only high-tech materials, including carbon nanotubes and graphene will be used for printing.

The 3D printing adoption by such an organization as NASA marks a widespread introduction of technology in all spheres of life.