What: In a sudden burst of interest in emerging technologies, Hollywood actor Brad Pitt was recently at NASA’s HQ for a video call with astronaut Nick Hague aboard the International Space Station. The two talked about inventions like gene-editing technology CRISPR 3D printing in space.
The session took place ahead of the release of Pitt’s latest sci-fi flick “Ad Astra” set for September 20, 2019.
More precisely: He asked Hague about the idea that everything could one day be printed in space, so astronauts do not need to worry about carrying a heavy load of supplies and materials from the earth.
But how: Thanks to the efforts of US company Made in Space which manufactures 3D printers for use in microgravity, NASA is already printing different objects and materials in space.
Hague explained that they’re experimenting with printing “simple things”, various tools, even organs and tissues.
“So we had cardiac muscle and veins, and there was an ink printer that we loaded in the inks, if you will, into the printer and watched it try to print out samples of tissue.”, he said.
“It’s just incredible to think what the future is going to bring.”, Pitt concluded.
Watch the conversation here
