The potential for 3D printing to be put to good use in space exploration is being thoroughly explored. Astronauts have already been manufacturing their own tools up on the space station, saving a lot of money that might have been spent on shipping the same tools from Earth. And now, 3D printing technology is promising to provide our space explorers with fresher, higher quality food.
Recently, NASA put forward the Print Your Own Space Food challenge to study the feasibility of using additive manufacturing in creating food in space. The winner of this challenge came in the form of AstroGro, which is brought to us by a group of students from CalTech. They created a printable, recyclable pod in which astronauts could organically grow their own food. These pods are integrated with an AI that manages optimal growing conditions. Such a pod would serve to reduce the need to transport food into space, allowing astronauts to customize a simulated growing environment for the purposes of cultivating a wide variety of plants.
