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back to article NASA 'nauts have a go on Star Trek replicator IN SPAAAAACE (sort of)

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have tested their new 3D printer – proving they can manufacture small parts while in orbit, somewhat. "This first print is the initial step toward providing an on-demand machine shop capability away from Earth," said Niki Werkheiser, project manager for the ISS 3D Printer at …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Tea....Earl Grey, hot"

    Picard: "Computer.....computer i wanted a cup of tea not a load of plasic shite".

    Picard: "Computer, locate Commander Laforge".

    Laforge: "Laforge here sir".

    Picard: "Commander.....you're sacked.

    Laforge: "why?"

    Picard: "I've got a packet of Hob Nobs and nothing to dunk them into....that why!"

    5 0 Reply
    1. stucs201
      Reply Icon

      Re: "Tea....Earl Grey, hot"

      Well this explains the multi-coloured food cube things in the original series. Much easier than a cup of tea.

      4 0 Reply
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Tea....Earl Grey, hot"

      is that from the final front ear?

      0 0 Reply
  2. Matt Bieneman

    Spare parts.

    Picard: "Tea....Earl Grey, hot"

    Replicator: "Unable to comply. Replicator component 123-A has failed and must be replaced."

    Picard: "Make one replicator component 123-A."

    Replicator: "Unable to comply. Replicator component 123-A has failed and must be replaced."

    .

    .

    .

    I think they'll need to make all of the possible spare parts now, while the machine still works.

    9 0 Reply
    1. Vic
      Reply Icon

      Re: Spare parts.

      "Unable to comply. Replicator component 123-A has failed and must be replaced."

      There's an old saying - if you need one, take two...

      Vic.

      1 0 Reply
  3. Maldax

    Hmmmm Chicken and Egg

    How does a broken printer print bit to fix itself??

    0 1 Reply
    1. DNTP
      Reply Icon

      Re: Hmmmm Chicken and Egg

      No better than a single human being can reproduce xirself I guess. Therefore as long as we do not put two of them on the same ship we can hold off the inevitable conquest of space by self replicating machine armies.

      (Please note the use of xir as a non-gendered replacement prefix and consider using it yourself in future comments. This footnote will repeat itself until we make english funnier.)

      2 3 Reply
      1. Al Black
        Reply Icon

        Re: Hmmmm Chicken and Egg

        Why not Xemself?

        1 0 Reply
      2. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Xir

        Clearly, and somewhat in line with urbandictionary, you seem to hold this "xir" idea you are promoting in very high regard. :-)

        0 0 Reply
        1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Well it's not an entirely bad idea.

          And I'm all for making English funnier.

          2 0 Reply
    2. Youngdog
      Reply Icon

      Re: Hmmmm Chicken and Egg

      A website by IT professionals for IT professionals and still there are people who haven't heard of 'resilience'. You obviously have 2 onboard....

      0 0 Reply
    3. Clive Galway
      Reply Icon

      Re: Hmmmm Chicken and Egg

      Two printers.

      0 0 Reply
  4. Voland's right hand Silver badge

    3D printing with metal is hard on earth

    In space the printed part does not oxidize, dissolve nitrogen or any of the other things which prevent a realistic use of 3d printing of metal.

    So if anything, runing a functional 3d printer in space is likely to be easier than on Earth. However, it will, by necessity be an external experiment (or require its own built-in-airlock).

    2 1 Reply
    1. Mikel
      Reply Icon

      Re: 3D printing with metal is hard on earth

      NASA already commissioned a metal printer on Earth. It is supposed to be spaceworthy, but they probably don't want to risk it in confined quarters on ISS.

      0 0 Reply
  5. stuartnz
    Alert

    Did someone say tea?

    Any replicator in space is honour-bound to produce only "something almost but not quite entirely unlike tea", surely?

    11 0 Reply
    1. Graham Marsden
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Up

      @stuartnz - Re: Did someone say tea?

      I'm sure it will produce something we can all Share and Enjoy!

      5 0 Reply
  6. Mystic Megabyte
    Joke

    zzzzzzzz

    I started to read the article but drifted off...

    0 0 Reply
  7. mIRCat
    Terminator

    I think I saw this in a movie once.

    "Ultimately, one day, a printer may even be able to print another printer."

    Have the boffins learned nothing!?

    0 0 Reply
  8. Lionel Baden
    Paris Hilton

    Magnetic wall

    Why not have a magnetic wall in a sealed lower pressure section for Machine shop ?

    *paris, because somebody must of thought of that already ??? or I am missing an obvious massive flaw

    1 0 Reply
    1. an it guy
      Reply Icon

      Re: Magnetic wall

      flaw: not all metals are magnetic.

      titanium, aluminium, magnesium, gold (for electronics), etc.

      A better option would simply be a 'fume hood' or negative pressure enviroment where all the air moves to the back of a system and is cleaned using a filter, as you mention

      2 0 Reply
      1. Lionel Baden
        Reply Icon

        Re: Magnetic wall

        I was hoping the lower pressure environment, would resolve the floating non ferrous materials, including plastic shavings etc etc

        0 0 Reply
  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    RE. Re. Magnetic wall

    Maglevs work a lot better in space, one way is to use a diamagnetic compound such as water.

    Relatively inert and easy to control using magnetic fields and can be an effective way to contain dust.

    0 0 Reply

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