The first zero gravity 3D printer has been set-up aboard the International Space Station. NASA's Barry Wilmore, the ISS commander, installed the space 3D printer in the Microgravity Science Glovebox on November 17.

NASA said the 3D printer and its software are in good operating conditions. The first test items will be printed Monday.

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Mike Snyder, lead engineer for the California-based startup Made in Space that built and developed the 3D printer, said this is a milestone for the team. He said they had to conquer many technical challenges to get the 3D printer to space.

The 3D printer arrived at the ISS last September aboard SpaceX's Dragon capsule. The machine is part of the 3D Print Project, a collaboration between NASA and Made in Space.

NASA's confident the advent of 3D printing in space exploration will help make space missions more cost effective, safer and more efficient in the long run.

Spacecraft will no longer need to allot a lot of space for supplies or even transport cargo from Earth since the 3D printer will be able to print spare parts for the ISS.

According to Nikki Werkheiser, NASA's 3D Print project manager, the project is pivotal in making this vision a reality. The project will allow space engineers to work in zero gravity with this 3D technology that functions the same way as it does on Earth.

The printed samples made aboard the ISS will eventually be brought back to Earth for closer examination and compared to objects printed on Earth. The next step is to test and utilize 3D parts printed aboard the ISS.

TagsZero Gravity 3D Printer Now Installed in the International Space Station, 3D-printer, NASA, ISS, zero gravity 3D printer space ISS