NASA

Space.  The final frontier.....

Seriously though, how awesome is space exploration, and especially now with commercial spaceflight making getting to space cheaper and more accessible.

I am a massive science fiction fan, like my father before me (Star Wars quote) with some of my favourite movies including Blade Runner, Aliens and Stargate, so its not really surprising to learn I am a massive fan of companies like SpaceX which are trying to push the boundaries of what is possible in modern and future spaceflight.

Of course, none of this would be where it is now without NASA.  Even though I was born too late to watch them live, the Moon landings are, in my opinion, the single greatest scientific and technological achievements of mankind, followed closely by the ISS.  I mean, I even have a LEGO Saturn V sitting on my desk next to my monitor.

But LEGO is expensive! I hear you cry, There must be a way I can own a small piece of NASA's spaceflight history without paying a king's ransom!

Well actually there is, Hidden away on NASA's website is a page that has a great selection of free to download STL files for 3D Printing! 

I personally have printed an awesome model of the Mars Curiosity Rover, which printed perfectly and I am considering donating it to the Nursery my fiancée works at (however I'm pretty sure the children would tear it to pieces in minutes!).

To finish off I thought I'd list a few prints on the site that I would like to print if - or rather when - I get a chance.

1. Saturn V Rocket

"The Saturn V was a rocket NASA built to send people to the moon. The Saturn V was a type of rocket called a Heavy Lift Vehicle. That means it was very powerful. It was the most powerful rocket that had ever flown successfully. The Saturn V was used in the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s. It also was used to launch the Skylab space station."

2. Voyager

"The twin spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were launched by NASA in separate months in the summer of 1977 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. As originally designed, the Voyagers were to conduct closeup studies of Jupiter and Saturn, Saturn's rings, and the larger moons of the two planets. After making a string of discoveries there -- such as active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io and intricacies of Saturn's rings -- the mission was extended. Voyager 2 went on to explore Uranus and Neptune, and is still the only spacecraft to have visited those outer planets."

3. James Webb Space Telescope

"The Webb will be the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It will study every phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System."

4. Multi-purpose Precision Maintenance Tool

"The Multi-Purpose Precision Maintenance Tool has a number of important tools which allow an astronaut to complete tasks with comfort and ease. The different sized drives at the top allows the user to attach sockets. In the center are wrenches of varying sizes, allowing fewer wrenches to be carried to the job site. On the left is a precision measuring tool along with wire gauges and a single edged wire stripper. In the center is an outline for Velcro to be applied allowing an easy storage around the station. A circular hole in the bottom center allows for a clip to be used as well. On the right, and ergonomic grip is built into the tool with ridges for better grasp, lastly a pry bar is built into the ergonomic grip for ease of access."

What are you waiting for?  Go and print some cool space stuff and I'll see you all next week!

Troez.