I-JAXA astronaut uNorishige Kanai usebenza ecaleni kweprinta ye-Made In Space 3D kwi-International Space Station.Yenziwe endaweni Khankanya uthumelo lwendawo, into enokuthi qatha engqondweni nokuba yeyerokethi blastoffs, iziphekepheke ezihambela kwenye iplanethi okanye oosomajukujuku abahamba mnyama kwindawo yokuphefumla kwiindawo ezinamafutha. Zonke ezo zinto zenziwe eMhlabeni, kodwa ukulungiselela kunye nokuhamba ixesha elide, ukwakha izinto phakathi indawo yinto ebaluleke ngakumbi yokuhamba emajukujukwini.
Ukuba siza kwenza ikholoni kaMars, kufuneka sibenakho ukwenza imveliso apho kwaye sisebenzise izixhobo zalapha ekhaya, u-Andrew Rush, umongameli we Made In Space, Inc., iqalisa iJacksonville, eFlorida egxile ekushicileleni nge-3D emajukujukwini, Uxelela uMbonisi.
I-Made in Space yinkampani yokuqala yokwenza ngempumelelo into kwindawo engekho emhlabeni. Kwi Ngo-2016, i-NASA iyalelwa ukuba yenziwe kwindawo ukufaka umshicileli osisigxina we-3D kwiSitishi saMazwe ngaMazwe sokuvelisa izixhobo, izixhobo kunye nayo nayiphi na into enokubakho kwi-astronauts.
Kudliwanondlebe lwakutsha nje noMqwalaseli, uRush waqhekeza inzululwazi ebangela umdla yokwenzaiimeko ezincinci ze-microgravity kwaye kutheni le teknoloji ingundoqo kwimfuno yoluntu yoqoqosho lwezolimo.
Ukuprinta kwe-3D kwindawo eyahlukileyo kuneprinta ye-3D eMhlabeni?
Injongo yokuphela iyafana, eyokwakha izinto ngexesha lokwenyani lokuhlangabezana neemfuno zomsebenzisi. Umahluko omkhulu endaweni kukuba asinaso isibonelelo somxhuzulane ukusinceda sibeke izinto apho sifuna ukuzibeka khona, ke kufuneka sithembele kweminye imikhosi yokwenza ukufakwa kwezinto.
Kwakhona, kwindawo ye-zero-gravity, asinayo nayiphi na into yendalo efana nemisinga yomoya ehamba ngokwendalo ukunceda ukupholisa. Ke kuya kufuneka sakhe ulawulo olushushu kwi-3D inkqubo yokugcina iindawo ezishushu zishushu kwaye iindawo ezipholileyo zipholile.
Ngokusisiseko udala imeko-efana noMhlaba ngaphakathi kumatshini wokushicilela we-3D.
Ewe. Yindlela elungileyo yokuthetha.
Enye yezinto ezintle malunga nokuvelisa kwi-microgravity, nangona kunjalo, kukuba sinako ngokwenene ukwenza izakhiwo ezingenakukwazibabe nakho ukuxhasa ubunzima babo ukuba bebelapha eMhlabeni. Oko kusivumela ukuba senze izinto ezinomdla ngokwenene.Umzekelo, singenza ubume besigcawu obunokubamba buze buzinzise ubunzima baso emajukujukwini. Kodwa ukuba uyibeke phantsi emhlabeni, ibiza kuwa phantsi kobunzima bayo.
Ngokuprintwa kwe-3D, sinokwenza ngokuthe ngqo olo hlobo lwezinto endaweni endaweni yokwenza eMhlabeni kwaye emva koko uyiqhushumise esithubeni.
Sikhulu kangakanani isixhobo esikwisikhululo sithuba ngoku?
Imalunga nobungakanani bemicrowave efanelekileyo. Kodwa eneneni, ubukhulu babashicileli bethu buxhomekeke kwinto ekufuneka iprintiwe kunye nenani lesithuba esikhoyo. Sinabashicileli abanokwenza izakhiwo zibe nkulu kakhulu kuneprinta ngokwazo. Banokusebenza ngaphandle kwe-ISS kwisithuba sendawo.
Loluphi uhlobo lwezinto ezenziwe ngulo mshicileli? Zenziwe ngantoni?
Yenze izinto ezahlukeneyo, ezinje ngeeritshi ezinokusetyenziselwa ukulungisa izinto phantsi, ukugquma imitha kwimifuniselo yesayensi eyahlukeneyo kunye nobugcisa obenzelwe abafundi.
Okwangoku, sinezinto ezintathu kwisikhululo sasemajukujukwini. Sine-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), eluhlobo lweplastiki yeLego kunye nezinto eziqhelekileyo ezisetyenziswa kubashicileli be3D emhlabeni. Emva koko, sine high-density polyethylene (HDPE) leyo iplastiki eguqukayo ngakumbi kunye nokutya okukhuselekileyo. I-Polyethylene ikwakhona nokuba yimigqomo yobisi eyenziwe ngayo. Emva koko, sine-Polyetherimide / Polycarbonate (i-PEI / i-PC), eyi-polymer ye-aerospace-grade evelisa izinto ezinamandla, ezinganyangekiyo kubushushu.Inokubamba amandla kwisithuba kunye nakubushushu obuphantsi kwindawo.
Ngaba unganika umzekelo wendlela ukushicilelwa kwe-3D kunokusetyenziswa kwimishini yendawo ezayo, enje ngokuthambisa iMars?
Isitshixo sokwenza ikoloniyali naphi na kukuzisa izixhobo kunye nokuphila emhlabeni.Ukuba siza kwenza ikholoni iMars, kuya kufuneka sibenakho ukwenza imveliso apho kwaye sisebenzise izixhobo zalapha ekhaya.Into ebesiyenza esithubeni kwiminyaka eliqela edlulileyo kukuphuhlisa itekhnoloji yokuvelisa enokuthi isebenze eMhlabeni. Ngexesha lokuya kwethu eMars, iinguqulelo ezinkulu zale 3D printers zinokusetyenziselwa ukubeka iziseko kunye nokwakha indawo yokuhlala apho.
Ethetha ngobukoloniyali be-Mars, u-Elon Musk uthe ufuna ukuthumela isigidi esinye sabantu eMars ngo-2050. Ngaba ucinga ukuba lixesha elifanelekileyo?
Ndicinga ukuba i-2050 yeyona nto kujoliswe kuyo. Ndonwabile kakhulu malunga ukubuyisela abantu enyangeni kule minyaka ilishumi. Ndicinga ukuba nje ukuba sibuyele enyangeni, kusengqiqweni ukuthi iMars inokufikelela kuthi kwiminyaka eli-10.
I-Made in Space yayiyinkampani yokuqala ukuthumela umshicileli we-3D kwi-ISS (ngo-2016). Ukushicilela kwe-3D kwindawo kuguquke njani kule minyaka mine idlulileyo? Ngaba unakho okhuphisana nabo ababalulekileyo?
Sikhe sanokhuphiswano lukarhulumente. Ukuprintwa kwe-3D ngumdla ophakamileyo kwi-Arhente Yendawo yaseYurophu (i-ESA). IRashiya yenze uvavanyo oluthile kule ndawo. Ngokunjalo ne China. Kwaye sibonile ezinye iinkampani eMelika ezinomdla kakhulu, nazo.
Ichaphazele njani i-COVID-19 kwinkampani yakho, nokuba yi-R & D okanye icala lezoshishino lezinto?
I-COVID-19 ngokucacileyo yothuse yonke imiba yobomi bethu bobuqu kunye nobungcali. Asikhuseli kuloo nto kwaphela. Siye sanethamsanqa ngokungaqhelekanga lokuba nabathengi, ngakumbi iNASA.
Kudala sizama ngenene ukuqinisekisa ukuba siyaqhubeka nokwenza imibono yethu ngelixa sisenza oko ngendlela ekhuselekileyo njengoko kunokwenzeka kwiqela lethu kunye neminye imibutho esisebenza nayo.
