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'Future Engineer' Student's Winning Design for Astronauts is Printed in Space

The winning entry in the Future Engineers 3D Printing in Space Tool Challenge, sponsored by the ASME Foundation in partnership with NASA, is printed in the Additive Manufacturing Facility on the International Space Station. This time-lapse video shows the creation of the Multipurpose Precision Maintenance Tool, which was designed by University of Alabama in Huntsville student Robert Hillan. Hillan's 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."