Now You Can Have Your Product Printed in Space

The ISS will be getting a permanent 3-D printing facility built by Made in Space and open to us on Earth.

learn more about Nina Zipkin

By Nina Zipkin

Made In Space
Mike Chen (left) and Jason Dunn (right) "floating" during a parabolic flight in which the zero-G 3D printer was validated.

A cargo ship named Cygnus will launch a mission tonight at 11:05 p.m. ET to resupply the International Space Station with 7,500 pounds worth of supplies to aid the crew on board in their research.

Among the tools being sent up is a 3-D printer created by startup Made in Space. The Additive Manufacturing Facility, or AMF, was custom made to work in microgravity and built to last for as long at the ISS does.

The printer will allow the astronauts to replace parts and tools that break during the course of the expedition without having to rely on costly deliveries from NASA. The company will be able to remotely operate the AMF from their offices at NASA Ames Research Park in California.

Related: NASA Turns to Small Businesses for Advances in Space Travel

And while the printer will permanently live on the space station, customers back on Earth can actually pay to use it too. For a fee that ranges from about $6,000 to $30,000 per print, businesses can test out their products in the ISS' microgravity environment, according to Wired.

Some other experiments the astronauts will be carrying out thanks to the Cygnus delivery will include examining the soil that shows up on the moon and "other airless worlds" such as asteroids, figuring what the meteors that enter Earth's atmosphere are made of and trying out an adhesive device that was inspired by gecko feet.
Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

The Dark Side of Pay Transparency — And What to Do If You Find Out You're Being Underpaid
Thinking of a Career Change? Here Are 4 Steps You Can Take to Get There.
A Founder Who Bootstrapped Her Jewelry Business With Just $1,000 Now Sees 7-Figure Revenue Because She Knew Something About Her Customers Nobody Else Did
Everything You Need to Know About Franchise Law
Travel

6 Secret Tools for Flying First Class (Without Paying Full Price)

It's time to reimagine upgrading. Here's how to fly first class on every flight, business or personal.

Business News

Carnival Cruise Wants Passengers to Have Fun in the Sun — But Do This, and You'll Get Burned With a New $500 Fee

The cruise line's updated contract follows a spate of unruly guest behavior across the tourism industry.

Business News

'Crying Northwestern Kid' Turned His Viral Fan Moment Into a Successful Harvard Admissions Essay. He Says the Experience Taught Him About Empathy.

Six years ago, Phillips was watching No. 8 Northwestern take on No. 1 Gonzaga during March Madness when he became a meme.

Franchise

How to Bring Your Franchise to the Next Level With Marketing Automation

With the impacts of inflation and associated costs of running a business, automation is a powerful solution for streamlining a positive guest experience and overall marketing.