Is printing a gun illegal in orbit?
SpaceX Dragon cargo truck flies 3D printer to ISS: Clawdown in 3, 2...
The International Space Station has snapped up the latest SpaceX Dragon and its supplies, including the floating lab’s new 3D printer. Alexander Gerst and Reid Wiseman watch the approach of the SpaceX Dragon from the Cupola. Are you there, Dragon? It's us, Alexander Gerst and Reid Wiseman. Credit: NASA TV The commercial …
COMMENTS
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Tuesday 23rd September 2014 14:10 GMT Ogi
Not sure if facetious .... but AFAIK no, it is not illegal.
Based on what reading of outer space treaties I've done, non-nuclear weaponry is a-ok in space. So yeah, it might not make you particularly popular on the ISS, nor would it be of much use without ammo, but yes, you legally could do it (assuming you had the authority to make that decision).
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Tuesday 23rd September 2014 15:02 GMT Crazy Operations Guy
It'd be impressive if they could actually print a gun (Even on the ground) rather than a ridiculously expensive IED with an ammunition cartridge as an explosive element. Anything that is far more likely to kill the person holding it than even hurting anyone it is pointed towards is nowhere near being a gun.
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Tuesday 23rd September 2014 19:33 GMT Chris G
Re: Flies
If the flies really bother them they could always open the door!
When I read the earlier article about the printer I assumed it was an experiment to see how well it could perform in 0G, still, it is the first step towards a replicator.
A properly working replicator a la Star Trek would be great but for dramatic purposes it will never be able to replicate the really important things like dilithium crystals after the old ones have blown because 'she cannae take it'.
Next is the Holodeck complete with alien babes and a starkissed beach.
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Wednesday 24th September 2014 15:14 GMT MyffyW
Re: Flies
@Chris_G I think the reason dilithium crystals can't be replicated goes something like this:
The replicator creates matter from energy (hence it's a finite resource, crew are given replicator credits, Janeway goes on fools errands for a cup of real coffee, etc).
The replicator gets it's energy from the nuclear reaction of dilithium (and if you ask how that works I will only be able to answer very well, thank you)
So the replicator could in theory create non-depleted dilithium, but in doing so would use more energy than it would harness in said crystals (due to the 2nd law of thermodynamics).
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Tuesday 23rd September 2014 15:20 GMT Pen-y-gors
what sort of 3d printer?
What sort of things can they actually print? (apart from guns) - does it just produce brightly coloured plastic models of the Eiffel Tower, or can they knock out real, useful, spare parts made of some suitably strong metal alloy?
I assume it doesn't produce cups of leaves in hot water yet.
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Tuesday 23rd September 2014 15:36 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: what sort of 3d printer?
Looks like an additive type, the sort that feeds in plastic, softens it with heat at the print head, and builds up the model in layers. A fancy version of a hot-glue-gun. They mention a next iteration using 'higher temperature plastics'. There was some discussion before about printing metal parts, but the only way I know of of achieving that is with laser sintering of powder, which relies on gravity to keep the powder in a level bed.
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Tuesday 23rd September 2014 23:20 GMT Anonymous John
Re: what sort of 3d printer?
"Funded in a public-private partnership by Made in Space and NASA, the 3D printer is the first device of its kind to ever launch into space. Engineers on the ground will uplink commands to the printer, giving it a 3D model of an object to build out of a stock of plastic carried inside."
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/013/140921launch/#.VCH-7JRdWSo
So possibly an Eiffel Tower. I read somewhere that a more sophisticated 3d printer will follow in the near future.
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Tuesday 23rd September 2014 17:23 GMT Alistair
*ding dong* <st>avon</st> spacex calling
@JDX -- might be interesting to see how quickly they adapt to (near 0) G. Fruitflies aren't too bright to start with. (contemplates neon painted fuitflies in (near 0) G under a blacklight) ......
@Irongut. considering the capabilities it has, it wouldn't denigrate it by labelling it a baseball mitt. But I'll grant the license in context.
Always nice to see another successful launch and delivery. I really would like to see the first "controlled" landing in the first person, hell I wouldn't mind being on one of the early passenger ready modules either, but I seriously doubt they'd need me to do an "on site" visit.