{
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    "title" : "NASA Reaches New Frontiers in 3D Printing |Digital.gov",
    "description": "NASA Reaches New Frontiers in 3D Printing",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/2015/01/29/nasa-reaches-new-frontiers-in-3d-printing/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"NASA Reaches New Frontiers in 3D Printing","summary" : "3D printing has gone out of this world. Earlier this month, DigitalGov covered the NIH 3D Print Exchange, where 3D printing is supporting scientific learning and research. Today, we’re highlighting a project that is reaching brand new heights: NASA’s In-space Manufacturing Initiative. Self-Sufficiency in Space NASA is currently conducting 3D printing experiments aboard the International","date" : "2015-01-29T11:10:55-04:00","date_modified" : "2024-07-05T22:14:24-04:00","authors" : {"awichman" : "Ashley Wichman"},"topics" : {
        
            "challenges-and-prize-competitions" : "Challenges & Prize Competitions",
            "emerging-tech" : "Emerging Tech",
            "software-engineering" : "Software Engineering"
            },"branch" : "cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings",
      "filename" :"2015-01-29-nasa-reaches-new-frontiers-in-3d-printing.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2015/01/2015-01-29-nasa-reaches-new-frontiers-in-3d-printing.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/content/news/2015/01/2015-01-29-nasa-reaches-new-frontiers-in-3d-printing.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/content/news/2015/01/2015-01-29-nasa-reaches-new-frontiers-in-3d-printing.md","slug" : "nasa-reaches-new-frontiers-in-3d-printing","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/2015/01/29/nasa-reaches-new-frontiers-in-3d-printing/","content" :"\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/01/600-x-439-3D-Printer-in-Action-isolated-on-white-silavsale-iStock-Thinkstock-504486619.jpg\"\n    alt=\"3D Printer in Action isolated on white\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e3D printing has gone out of this world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEarlier this month, DigitalGov covered the \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/2015/01/15/the-future-will-be-printed-in-3d/\"\u003eNIH 3D Print Exchange\u003c/a\u003e, where 3D printing is supporting scientific learning and research. Today, we’re highlighting a project that is reaching brand new heights: NASA’s In-space Manufacturing Initiative.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"self-sufficiency-in-space\"\u003eSelf-Sufficiency in Space\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNASA is currently conducting \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1115.html\"\u003e3D printing experiments\u003c/a\u003e aboard the International Space Station. In November, a printer faceplate was the \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/content/open-for-business-3-d-printer-creates-first-object-in-space-on-international-space-station/#.VJiRyF4AA\"\u003efirst object successfully 3D printed in space\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ability to print 3D objects will have a great impact on space operations. Ideally, 3D printers will serve as production shops in space, and astronauts will no longer have to wait months for parts to arrive on cargo spacecraft shipments. Astronauts will also be able to print parts that cannot survive a trip into space, thereby increasing the amount of supplies they can access.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/250-x-250-NASA-ISS-tweet-for-3D-printer-wrench.jpg\"\n    alt=\"250 x 250 NASA ISS tweet for 3D printer wrench\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\nIn December, \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/3Dratchet_wrench/index.html#.VJmrIF4AB\"\u003ea ratchet wrench was ‘emailed’ to the space station\u003c/a\u003e, marking the first time an object was designed on the ground and sent to space in response to real time needs. The wrench was designed and approved by NASA reviewers in less than one week and took 4 hours to print. The other 19 objects that have been printed, including the faceplate, had been designed before the printer went to the space station. The parts made in space will return to Earth in 2015 for in-depth analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNiki Werkheiser, NASA Project Manager for the In-space Manufacturing Initiative, pointed to sustainability as a major goal of her team’s work. By using on-site space material to create things such as landing pads and radiation protection, astronauts become increasingly self-reliant. The team is also working on initiatives to \u003ca href=\"https://gigaom.com/2014/05/13/nasa-is-considering-recycling-plastic-for-3d-printing-on-the-international-space-station/\"\u003erecycle printed parts\u003c/a\u003e; by turning old items into feedstock, 3D printing becomes efficient and sustainable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"designing-the-future-8211-together\"\u003eDesigning the Future – Together\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCollaboration has been a key component of NASA’s 3D projects. NASA worked with Made In Space, Inc., a space manufacturing company, to design, build and test the 3D printer. They are also working with Made in Space and another company, Tethers Unlimited, on the recycling initiative.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Additive manufacturing [3D printing] is a rapidly evolving technology with a multitude of commercial, academic, and government applications,” said Werkheiser. “This makes it ideal for collaboration amongst all these entities. NASA has a limited budget, so being able to leverage these emerging technologies and focus the limited funds on adapting them for spaceflight not only benefits the budgetary aspects, but aids in ensuring that these technologies are adapted in a realistic timeframe for utilization in exploration missions.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are multiple ways NASA is currently collaborating with industry and academia for 3D space printing. Recently, the first \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/content/design-3d-printable-handrail-clamp-assembly-for-the-international-space-station/#.VMpFhWjF-E5\"\u003eNASA GrabCAD Challenge\u003c/a\u003e was launched, which taps into a community of over 1.6 million designers. Designers must submit a concept on how to re-design a traditionally manufactured crew tool so it can be 3D printed in space. The challenge has only been open for one week, and Werkheiser said they have already received 120 entries.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNASA is also reaching out to academia. Werkheiser’s team is serving as program sponsors and experts for the additive manufacturing part of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/technology/deep_space_habitat/xhab/#.VMpF7mjF-E5\"\u003eeXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge\u003c/a\u003e. The challenge was created by the National Space Grant Foundation and NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This is a university-level challenge designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and math,” Werkhesier said. “The competition is intended to link with senior- and graduate-level design curricula that emphasize hands-on design, research, development, and manufacture of functional prototypical subsystems that enable functionality for space habitats and deep space exploration missions.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"tips-for-other-agencies\"\u003eTips for Other Agencies\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWerkhesier shared tips for agencies and federal employees that are pursuing innovative projects.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreate a \u003cstrong\u003eroadmap\u003c/strong\u003e with \u003cstrong\u003eclearly defined objectives\u003c/strong\u003e first. Then, \u003cstrong\u003eidentify the technologies\u003c/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eskillsets\u003c/strong\u003e required to implement those objectives \u003cstrong\u003ewithin the budget\u003c/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eschedule\u003c/strong\u003e provided.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTake the time to \u003cstrong\u003eunderstand all of the mechanisms available for collaboration\u003c/strong\u003e and partnerships within the agency. There are multiple avenues such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and Challenges.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInvest in relationships\u003c/strong\u003e with other stakeholders in your technical field. Identify the key conferences, forums, groups, etc., and where these stakeholders convene. Communicate your roadmap and objectives to this community.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCommunicate your needs\u003c/strong\u003e and concerns to the \u003cstrong\u003eprocurement\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003elegal\u003c/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eprogrammatic\u003c/strong\u003e teams in your agency, and propose potential new competitive ways to gain access to the other stakeholders.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConsider \u003cstrong\u003eworking with other government entities\u003c/strong\u003e. Explore joint activities where resources can be shared and additional outlets may be identified.\u003cem\u003eNASA makes 3D models available for printing on their \u003ca href=\"http://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/\"\u003e3D Resources website\u003c/a\u003e, and the \u003ca href=\"http://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/wrench-mis\"\u003ewrench\u003c/a\u003e has been added to the collection.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n"}
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}