Scientists send 3D printer into space
Spaceflight feather, as viewed aboard VSS Unity on June 8, 2024. The Virgin Galactic 07 flight carried Berkeley’s SpaceCal 3D printer (Image: Virgin Galactic)
July 2, 2024 – How useful would it be if the crew of a space mission could manufacture any part themselves in the event of damage? For example with a 3D printer.
To investigate whether this is indeed possible under weightlessness, a team of Berkeley researchers sent a 3D printer with the Virgin Galactic 07 space mission. During that mission, the microgravity printer developed by Berkeley – the dubbed SpaceCAL – 3D printed a total of four test parts made of plastic. On July 2, Berkeley University posted a report on its website.
