A team of UC Berkeley researchers, led by PhD student Taylor Waddell, has successfully launched a 3D printer into space, reports university newspaper:
As part of the Virgin Galactic 07 mission, the team sent a XNUMXD printer named SpaceCAL into space to explore the possibilities of Computed Axial Lithography, or CAL, and additive manufacturing in space.
During 140-second printing tests in suborbital space, the SpaceCAL printer autonomously detected microgravity and printed some test parts: 140D-printed vessels created to test the printer's accuracy, according to Sean Chu, a member of the team that worked on the design structures and mechanisms. Within XNUMX seconds, the process involved several steps, such as printing, then washing with water and post-polymerization with light to fully solidify the parts.
But that's just the beginning, says the university's engineering department:
To date, CAL has demonstrated that it can successfully print with more than 60 different materials on Earth, including silicones, glass composites and biomaterials. According to Waddell, this flexibility could be useful for the vessel as well as the crew…
“CAL is also capable of 'repairing' the crew. We can print dental parts, skin grafts, lenses or things customized for emergency medicine for astronauts, which are very important on these missions as well.”
At some point, CAL may be used to print even more sophisticated elements, such as human organs. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has received a grant from NASA to test this technology on the International Space Station.
"They're basically going to be doing bioprinting on the Space Station," Waddell said. "The long-term goal is to print instruments in space with CAL and then bring them to Earth."
Next, Waddell and his colleagues hope to begin working with NASA to develop and validate a single project that could support crew health and wellness, such as a dental crown for an astronaut or a tool for the closure of surgical wounds…
This project was made possible through a $1,4 million grant and engineering support provided by NASA. In addition, Virgin Galactic played a key role.
