Chinese Astronauts take Flight with 3D Printed Seats

[cirr]

Kyle Maxey posted on June 18, 2013

Last week we reported on China’s launch of the Shenzhou 10 mission to the Tiangong space station. What we didn’t know at the time is that the space craft was carrying a 3D printed payload; it’s seats.

For the past 10 years China has been developing the technology for advanced space flight. Priority number one is making sure it’s astronauts get to and from the space station safely.

Since 1998 Professor Cui Guoqi, director of the Rapid Prototyping Research Center in Tianjin University, has creating 3D printed seats for Chinese space missions. Since China’s first manned spaceflight in 2003, each Shenzhou mission has been equipped with a custom made 3D printed seat.

The seat itself is made of a 70mm thick composite material and looks more like a cradle than a traditional chair. Over the course of the last 10 years Cui Guoqi has been improving the design of the Chinese space seats, "During launch and landing these specially designed seats… protect the astronauts, especially their backbones, from being hurt by the jolt during acceleration," Said Prof. Guoqi.

The true testament the flexibility of 3D printing technology comes from knowing that each seat is tailored to precisely fit each astronaut. "Every seat [is] tested by the astronaut in person and undergo adjustments to make it more precise." From data capture to production, each seat takes about 3 months to design.

Now if Cui and his team can only work a little more legroom into those seats...

Chinese Astronauts take Flight with 3D Printed Seats > ENGINEERING.com

 

[kawaraj]

that's so impressing, I can sense why the west is so jealous and deseprate about China's each advance.

 

[Wright]

that's so impressing, I can sense why the west is so jealous and deseprate about China's each advance.

3d Printing was invented by an American dude.

 

[Fsjal]

3d Printing was invented by an American dude.

He was referring to how the Chinese have custom made seats.

Anyway, did NASA have something similar?

 

[Wright]

He was referring to how the Chinese have custom made seats.

Anyway, did NASA have something similar?

Weren't you Philippino?

 

[Fsjal]

Weren't you Philippino?

Off-topic: Yes, but Filipino members don't accept me because of political difference.

On-topic: NASA did develop some advance things, but how about the use of 3D printers for custom made seats?

 

[Wright]

Off-topic: Yes, but Filipino members don't accept me because of political difference.

On-topic: NASA did develop some advance things, but how about the use of 3D printers for custom made seats?

NASA recently put a rover on mars with a rocket descent. That is quite an achievement. However NASA is not taken seriously by the current admin and it's funding has dropped drastically.

Not so sure about 3d printed seats - but the private US space industry is set to out do NASA. China really needs to do something big for US to take NASa seriously again -like the Soviets did with sputnik.

 

[kawaraj]

3d Printing was invented by an American dude.

What? Invented?

What about filing a patent of eating, bathing and fvcking? As seems to me Apple is doing all the things, from now whenever someone eat, he has to pay Roylty to some American firms or some jerk for using the IP right....

What a sh1t world.

 

[Wright]

What? Invented?

What about filing a patent of eating, bathing and fvcking? As seems to me Apple is doing all the things, from now whenever someone eat, he has to pay Roylty to some American firms or some jerk for using the IP right....

What a sh1t world.

The first working 3D printer was created in 1984 by Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corp.

 

[kawaraj]

The first working 3D printer was created in 1984 by Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corp.

So stop using invent.

 

[HongWu]

Only China has actually put 3D printing into practical use. Everything else was just laboratory toys

Let those backward Westerners burn with jealousy