Imagine a fully automated 3D printer suspended in mid air, churning out crucial components for use at home and abroad. Sounds like science fiction? Think again. In-space manufacturing – sometimes called in-orbit or off-Earth fabrication – is a booming industry. Of the three major types, space-for-space describes things made in space for use in space settings. Like the International Space Station, which, being larger than a soccer pitch, had to be pieced together in-orbit.
The second type, space-for-surface, is where things are made in space to be used on other planetary bodies, like Mars or the Moon. The third – and most exciting – is known as space-for-Earth. These objects are made in orbit to be used on Earth. Everything from pharmaceuticals to fibre-optic cables can be made this way. Space-for-space and space-for-surface will be fascinating in the future, but space-for-Earth is where fascinating things are happening now.
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