NASA is really adamant! Whatever the space agency plans to do something in space, somehow it finds a way. Now, NASA is placing a tiny 3D printed space camera into CubeSats.
A CubeSat is actually a telescope, designed to launch to low-Earth orbit. The telescope is made from powdered aluminum and titanium that a mobile laser sets into a solid. Like 3D printing with exuded plastic, the pieces are built layer by layer, from the bottom up.
The tiny 3D printed space camera designed by engineer Jason Budinoff, which NASA is placing into 4-inch CubeSat, has 5 to 10 times fewer parts than a comparable camera, made with conventional techniques. The advantage of making telescope parts this way is that the printer is able to form several parts as one solid piece.
According to NASA, this experimental telescope is likely to be finished in this September. And after that, the space agency will send the telescope into space for testing purpose (vacuum and vibrational testing). But NASA has indicated that it doesn’t want to use the 3D printed space camera equipped CubeSats into space so earlier, may be in future.
Source: NASA
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