Professor Amit Bandyopadhyay of Washington State University is working to make science fiction reality thanks to his work on 3D printers that can create objects out of moon rocks. Bandyopadhyay and his group of researchers have taken 3D printing technology and used it to print tools. For the study the team used regolith simulant parts or fake moon rocks as raw material instead of the plastic that is used in commercially available 3D printers.
In an interview with VentureBeat, Bandyopadhyay stated that the study was real and had been a success. He said that, “This isn’t a prank. You can come to come to our labs and see it for yourself.”
The Washington State University researchers got to make moon rocks thanks to a very generous funding contribution from NASA. Even though the material is not exactly identical to moon rocks, they are close enough to simulate the real thing. The regolith simulant contains aluminum oxide and calcium oxide and behaves like silica. Overall, the fake moon rocks are a good representation of what the lunar surface contains.
Bandyopadhyay previously worked on printing orthopedic implants that resembled actual bones. The raw material used in that study was ceramic and the team had to learn how to use it to produce their end product. The professor had to figure out how to use the moon rock for his latest research and commented that, “There’s a lot to learn when you use simulant material.”
For most people the orthopedic implants are a far more useful use of 3D printers than moon rocks. However, his research may become a crucial part of future space exploration because it would save energy and cabin space. Explorers could print the tools and materials on demand on the surface of the planet they are visiting. Bandyopadhyay explains that, “It reduces your payload significantly.”
The early results of the technology have been very intriguing and the research shows that 3D printing can accomplish a lot in the future.
Source: Venture Beat
Photo: Venture Beat
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