3D Printing by Ben Reytblat

From The Space Library

3D Printing (also known as Additive Manufacturing) is a set of technologies for creating objects directly from computer designs by manufacturing them one layer at a time. There are a lot of different kinds of 3D Printing technologies, and we'll describe them in a moment. In the mean time, here are the three main ways that 3D printing is used in Aerospace:

- 3D printing is currently used in building space ships and launchers, for example the SpaceX Super Draco rocket engine and NASA/Aerojet Rocket Engine Core - 3D printing is currently used to support operations in orbit, for example to manufacture auxiliary mechanisms/tools/spare parts/etc - 3D printing will soon be used to manufacture main structural elements and key susbsystems in orbit, on the Moon, on Mars, and on asteroids, for example Tethers Unlimited and Planetary Resources projects.

More to come soon.