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1. Chinese researchers have used 3D printing technology to make a safer space suit for astronauts while spacewalking.
A research center under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation used a 3D printer to create the vent pipes and the flanges connecting the pipes used on extravehicular space suit.
The vent pipe and the flange as a whole can improve the reliability and safety of the space suit, and suits can be made more efficiently. Researchers will use the technique to make more parts.
China plans to launch its second orbiting space lab, Tiangong-2, next year, and aims to put a permanent manned space station into service around 2022.
The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology has successfully developed a multi-laser metal 3D printer, enabling astronauts to print items with just one 3D printer in space.
The 3D printing technology is suitable for making objects with complicated structures and odd shapes, such as the valves of rocket engines.
There are still many difficulties to overcome in 3D printing in space. Researchers are still developing materials suitable for 3D printing; and the precision of 3D printed items needs to be improved.