Archinaut, A 3D Printing Robot To Make Big Structures In Space

Historically, the only way to get anything into orbit has been by rocket; a process that is massively expensive, cumbersome, and presents a slew of constraints.

So, when Made In Space created the first zero-gravity 3D printer, it was understandably a big deal. For the first time, astronauts wouldn’t have to wait for the next launch from Earth for everything they needed—instead, they could take electronic delivery of a computer file and make tools, like this 3D printed ratchet .