Microgravity 3D printing tested on ‘vomit comet’

Developed at Glasgow University by Dr Gilles Bailet, the device uses a granular material rather than the filaments relied on by most 3D printers. According to the researchers, the material’s properties allow it to be drawn from the printer’s tank to the nozzle, even in the microgravity and vacuum conditions of space. The Glasgow team is also exploring methods of embedding electronics into the material, potentially creating functional components for use in devices created in space as well as recyclable space systems.

“Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is capable of producing remarkably complex materials quickly and at low cost,” said Dr Bailet. “Putting that technology in space and printing what we need for assembly in orbit would be fantastically useful.

“However, what works well here on Earth is often less robust in the vacuum of space, and 3D printing has never been done outside of the pressurised modules of the International Space Station. The filaments in conventional 3D printers often break or jam in microgravity and in vacuum, which is a problem that needs to be solved before they can be reliably used in space.”