NASA is preparing to launch the fourth SpaceX cargo mission that will deliver the first 3D printer to the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA will send the 3D printer to the ISS on September 19. The printer will roughly be the size of a microwave oven but designed to work in zero gravity conditions.

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This 3D printer will help astronauts build any part of the ISS at a moment's notice. It will remove the need to store spares on the ISS that occupy space or waste resources needed to transport them to the ISS.

This move can greatly improve efficiency by having a part designed on Earth and then sending the designs to the orbiting 3D printer, said printing project manager Niki Werkheiser.

This capability ensures that even with a limited supply chain, 3D printing technology can be pivotal for space exploration missions. The advent of 3D printing can revolutionize the creation of prototypes.

By tradition, new technologies often go through a process that involves a long incubation period where prototypes go through a battery of tests and reviews.

During the process of developing any new kind of technology, it's inevitable that the developers encounter bugs or setbacks that require a change in design. Thus, the whole process needs to be repeated, costing time, money and resources.

But having a 3D printer on board the ISS eliminates these setbacks and enables important changes to be applied immediately from the design stage.

Using plastics and metal alloys that form consecutive layers, 3D printing technology can produce three dimensional objects. The technology can also use a laser to melt metallic powder.

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