In an experiment that seems straight out of a science fiction movie, the European space agency achieved an impressive milestone, the first metal 3D printing carried out in space aboard the international space station, in collaboration with Airbus they brought the printing technology 3D to a new level by successfully completing the first of four tests.
Now you might be thinking, 3D printing in space has happened before right, yes and no, experiments with 3D printing on the ISS began in 2014, but until now this technology was limited to working with plastic, printing in plastic in the Space is not that complicated, it does not get very hot and it is relatively easy to manipulate, even in zero gravity, but when we talk about metal things change.
The metal 3D printer which by the way could have a less obvious man takes this idea to a whole new level and it's not just the fact of working with metal that makes it so complex, there are huge challenges to printing metal and an environment of microgravity, which required drastic adjustments to be safe enough to use inside the ISS.
Normally the metal 3D printer works by depositing a thin layer of metal alloy powder and then synthesizing that powder with an electron beam or in a laser, this process is repeated layer by layer until the object is complete, it doesn't sound simple, but imagine Doing it in space with zero gravity the metal dust could float creating a real security threat would be total chaos.
The astronauts solved this by replacing the metal powder with something much more controllable, the printer uses a stainless steel wire that is fed directly, a laser melts the wire in the precise place allowing the molten metal to solidify immediately, this method in addition to being safer emits the operation of plastic 3D printers, but with the strength and durability of steel and to ensure that everything happened safely the entire process was carried out within a sealed, remotely controlled metal box.
In August this metal printer completed its first form of testing, it was nothing spectacular in terms of appearance, quite rudimentary in fact, but the goal is greater, this device is a technology demonstrator, a crucial step to prove that in the future It will be possible to carry out space missions more independent of Earth.
Imagine astronauts on Mars manufacturing their own spare parts, tools or construction components without depending on a ship coming from Earth. With this advance we are a small but important step closer to a future where self-sufficient space missions can become a reality.
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