NASA JPL 3D Prints Metal Space Fabric

At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), scientists have designed a metal fabric that resembles a flexible, futuristic chain mail. The silver, strong fabric was 3D printed in one piece, and has four functional properties: reflectivity, foldability, passive heat management and tensile strength. The 3D printed metal fabric could be used for astronauts' space suits, or as a shield to protect a spacecraft from meteorites. It can aid in temperature control, as one side of the fabric reflects light while the other absorbs it. Large swaths of the material can be folded into a compact package, so it may be ideal for creating expandable devices that are deployable from space, such as antennae. Read more at 3DPrint.com: https://3dprint.com/171717/nasa-jpl-3d-printed-space-fabric/

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