Europe Launches Space Metal 3D Printing Project

3-D printing is a real game changer and its potential to usher in some serious change is paramount. This thread is about plans the ESA has to start 3-D printing metals for astronauts to make repairs or build things in Space. Maybe even use this tech to build other worldly habitats.

However, the poterntial for this technology and its effects upon the manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy is enormous. There's already a run on Patents and Trademarks for 3-D printed designs and now who knows where this tech will lead to. For some reason, I keep thinking of the liquid metal terminator in Terminator 2. Is that where this tech is leading to?

Furthermore, can this tech be utilized in conjunction with the teleportation effort(s) of recent in a move to teleport beings. Because when you think about it, anything organic is just a collection of elements/ minerals/ and germs organized into a specific combination. A persons ingredients can be scanned on one end and re-assembled on the other end.

What say you, ATS?

lostbook
3-D printing is a real game changer and its potential to usher in some serious change is paramount. This thread is about plans the ESA has to start 3-D printing metals for astronauts to make repairs or build things in Space. Maybe even use this tech to build other worldly habitats.

However, the poterntial for this technology and its effects upon the manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy is enormous. There's already a run on Patents and Trademarks for 3-D printed designs and now who knows where this tech will lead to. For some reason, I keep thinking of the liquid metal terminator in Terminator 2. Is that where this tech is leading to?

Furthermore, can this tech be utilized in conjunction with the teleportation effort(s) of recent in a move to teleport beings. Because when you think about it, anything organic is just a collection of elements/ minerals/ and germs organized into a specific combination. A persons ingredients can be scanned on one end and re-assembled on the other end.

What say you, ATS?

I think a person is more than the mere physical and material sum of the parts. If you try to transport someone in the way you are thinking, that person will be 'dissassembled' and a copy of their body will be recreated elsewhere. But a copy is all it will be, and a dead empty lifeless shell at that.

reply to post by lostbook


A Link to the story.

That's pretty cool and could be extremely useful for those up in space.

~Tenth

reply to post by lostbook


I thought this was where space exploring would go. You could design whatever on earth and then send it to the printer. Although the "ink cartridges" would need to be stored somewhere. Maybe in the boot.

So, sintering? Would getting the raw materials into orbit/space and running plasma/lasers be just as costly? If it was paired with asteroid mining or even salvaging trash in orbit, I could see it becoming a boom industry.

Wait, didn't someone announce that they sintered a firearm?
I wonder where 'international' space begins?