Make: Volume 86

or complex,” Ralston said. “Most of the printed

parts have loose tolerances, but if we need tighter

tolerances we machine them after the print

process in some cases.”

All parts printed for spaceflight must

follow NASA’s technical standard for additive

manufactured parts (NASA-STD-6030) which

outlines all requirements for using 3D printing

in the design, fabrication, and testing of parts for

crewed and uncrewed missions.

So is this really a black spacesuit? No. The

prototype’s black cover is shielding some of the

proprietary aspects of the suit underneath. The

final product will be a necessary white color to

assist with temperature control.

Howe ...