The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is all set to send a surgical robot and a 3D metal printer to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply services mission. The Cygnus cargo spacecraft, scheduled for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in late January, will carry out scientific investigations that include testing a 3D metal printer, semiconductor manufacturing, and thermal protection systems for Earth reentry.
Speaking over 3D metal printing in space, Rob Postema of the European Space Agency (ESA) stated, “This investigation provides us with an initial understanding of how such a printer behaves in space.”
The study aims to uncover differences in printing in space compared to Earth and explore the range of shapes achievable. The insights gained could revolutionise long-duration space missions, enabling on-the-go creation of equipment parts, thereby reducing the need for extensive pre-planning and saving resources for future lunar and Martian exploration.
“A 3D printer can create many shapes, and we plan to print specimens, first to understand how printing in space may differ from printing on Earth and second to see what types of shapes we can print with this technology. In addition, this activity helps show how crew members can work safely and efficiently with printing metal parts in space,” Postema added.
Airbus Defence and Space SAS, under contract with ESA, is spearheading this investigation, NASA said.
Surgical Procedures Beyond Earth
While the Robotic Surgery Tech Demo will evaluate the performance of a remotely controlled robot capable of conducting surgical procedures in space.
Virtual Incision Corporation in collaboration with the University of Nebraska is leading the investigation where the small robot will use two “hands” to mimic surgical actions, with the goal of assessing the impact of microgravity and time delays between space and ground on surgical procedures.
“Results from this investigation could support the development of robotic systems to perform these procedures,” NASA said. With longer space missions on the horizon, the need for surgical capabilities in space becomes crucial.
The article originally appeared on Wionews.