On-Orbit 3D Printing

For crew members who work long-term on spacecraft or space stations, they must carry everything needed for work and life in advance, which means allocating storage space for every possible item. For reserve supplies that are not needed in the short term, this undoubtedly wastes the very precious and limited storage space on the space station. At the same time, the carried supplies must be able to withstand the effects of gravity, vibration, and impact during launch, greatly increasing the cost of launch and ground testing. For longer space flights and deep space exploration missions, the unsustainability of the supply chain even becomes one of the important factors affecting the success of space missions due to time, distance, and duration.