SPACE SALAD AND 3D PRINTING IN THE VACUUM OF SPACE

NASA's Veggie Program is Bearing 'Fruit,' and Made In Space Ready to Take 3D Printing to The Next Level

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have gone where no man has gone before and indulged in the rarest culinary experience, by being the first to sample space-grown vegetables. And the result, well, the astronauts were very positive, “That’s awesome, tastes good,” said crew member Kjell Lindgren. This is the second crop of romaine lettuce to be grown on the station, the first lot was frozen and sent down to earth for analysis over a year ago. But, this time the crew got the chance to eat the zero G salad.Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have gone where no man has gone before and indulged in the rarest culinary experience, by being the first to sample space-grown vegetables. And the result, well, the astronauts were very positive, “That’s awesome, tastes good,” said crew member Kjell Lindgren. This is the second crop of romaine lettuce to be grown on the station, the first lot was frozen and sent down to earth for analysis over a year ago. But, this time the crew got the chance to eat the zero G salad.

In other space news, Made In Space has just announced that recent tests have proven that 3D printing is possible in the vacuum of space. This announcement comes just a few months after the ‘printing partner’ to NASA received into its hands the first objects to be 3D printed on-board the ISS. Building on the success of its zero gravity printer, Made In Space has developed a 3D printing lab, known as the Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF), that features the company’s proprietary “vacuum-compatible extrusion heads.” This printing system has recently been undergoing tests to determine whether it can print in conditions that are found in the vacuum of space.

With positive early results to show, Mike Snyder, Made In Space’s Chief Engineer is predicting that the firm “are as little as 18 months away from incorporating the current designs into on-orbit tests,” opening the door to a whole host of opportunities. He added, “These preliminary tests, combined with our experience with microgravity additive manufacturing, show that the direct manufacturing of structures in space is possible using Made In Space developed technologies. Soon, structures will be produced in space that are much larger than what could currently fit into a launch fairing, designed for microgravity rather than launch survivability. Complete structural optimization is now possible in space.“