The vision of the space industry: Giant 3D printers would be useful tools for many purposes.

Above this text is an image, that portrays the dry dock of star destroyers from fictional Star Wars movies. But that image has inspired the possibility to make the space systems like satellites in space factories, that are using 3D printing technology. In that case, the 3D printer would separate the metals and other material, that is collected from melted asteroids.

This 3D printer technology allows creating at least miniature satellites or even larger structures in series by using giant 3D- printer technology. The size of the printers is the thing, that is putting limits on the structures, what this kind of systems can make. Also, the 3D printer systems can use the independent spacecraft, the spaceborne quadcopters, which are using extremely accurate control systems. So what if the creators of this kind of machine want to make the planet-size ball-shaped object? This hypothetical project goes like this: at the first, the printer will make the normal-size crafts, which are used to make the core to the ball.

The core would spray by using the ion systems to the network layer, of the extremely thin network structure. This structure will be acting as a layer, where the material is sprayed. And then those crafts will travel at the surface of that network structure, and spray the core over it. And after that, the ball can fill with air and the floors and other internal structures will install in the ball. The fact is that nothing limits the size of the 3D-printed parts. The limit is in the size of the systems. And maybe somewhere in the future, this kind of system would be the key element in space colonization.

What if the Mars helicopter could be printed on Mars? If the long rotor wings can be created by using 3D printers that will save space. And if an entirely new helicopter can be created in the case of an accident, that makes it possible to replace the destroyed helicopter in the case of an accident. That thing would make the new opportunities for the probes, which are sent to other planets.

The orbital printer systems can be very useful when small-size miniature satellites are made. If that kind of system will send to Jupiter or farther, that would give the new abilities for the research of the distant icy worlds. And maybe those systems are also things, that are finding the first extraterrestrial lifeforms.

If the interplanetary probe would use printed sub-probes, that would allow responding the surprising discoveries like water in the atmosphere of some gas giant. The probe can make the new sub-probe and shoot it to the atmosphere of that planet. So that means that the 3D printer systems are making space systems more flexible and able to respond to the challenges of that kind of journey.