Permission to SQWEEEE

I normally try to keep my commentary about 3d printing of this blog but this war just too cool and too momentus to leave unmentioned.

You can read more direct from the source here: http://www.nasa.gov/content/open-for-business-3-d-printer-creates-first-object-in-space-on-international-space-station/index.html#.VHXVMGjn9oN

Honestly,  though,  do I need to say anything? If your mind is not telling with the possibilities you need to get your imagination checked. Repacement and repair parts are going to be the first thing, but what about new things? What's going to be the first thing they ship to the ISS without expending rocket fuel? 3d printed guns showed us that machines are possible. How soon before this is the defacto manufacturing method for space? Could you imagine a whole space craft manufactured this way? What if Rosetta had manufactured Philae after it got to the comet so we wouldn't have had to guess 10 years ago what shape the lander needed to be to best navigate its tricky landing? See? Staggering possibilities.

And for me, how soon before they print a game? Come on, you know they want to. I'm sure once you calulate shipping costs their filament is considerably more expensive so I wouldn't be surprised if frivolous prints were looked down on, but come on, a couple of dice for space yatzee won't cost that much, will it?

Little problem with adhesion. They should have used hairspray on glass.