When astronauts aboard the International Space Station need a new tool, they sometimes wait months for the next mission from Earth. But with the surge in 3D printing, the astronauts can acquire equipment much faster.
ISS Commander Barry Wilmore needed a ratcheting socket wrench recently, and after hearing his request, California-based 3D printing company Made in Space sent him the design for the tool via email, according to Wired UK. This marks the first time an object was designed on Earth and manufactured in space. In total, 21 parts have been printed in space to date.
"We will use them to characterise the effects of long-term microgravity on our 3D-printing process, so that we can model and predict the performance of objects that we manufacture in space in the future," Mike Chen from Made in Space said.
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