You know that moment where you overhear a loved one talking about something they really need, and realize you just stumbled onto the perfect thoughtful Christmas present? That’s what just happened on the ISS, where an astronaut recently opined about needing a wrench—and then received one over email and printed it out.
We’ve heard a lot about the ISS’s new 3D printer, which was build and delivered by a California company called Made In Space. Though the printer spit out the first of many test objects back in November, those files were delivered to the ISS on board a cargo supply—not through wireless communication with Earth, as it eventually the goal with the printer.
via Gizmodo
December 19, 2014