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Technology

When You See the Actual Size of This 3D-Printed Spaceship Your Mind Will Likely Be Blown

Feb. 11, 2013 10:26am Liz Klimas

Some 3D printing projects are almost unbelievable given their sheer scale — like these plans to create a whole building out of materials made by a 3D printer. On the flip side, some 3D-printed projects are impressive due to the level of detail they host at such a small size.

Take this spaceship, for example. It’s length is only the width of a human hair — the dimensions are 125µm x 81µm x 26.8µm. Some human hairs can be as wide as 181 µm.

The project is the work of the German company Nanoscribe using “direct laser writing,” which its website describes as a “non-linear two photon absorption process.”

The spaceship specifically, according to the description of the video showing its printing process, was created with a Photonic Professional GT 3D printer. It took less than 50 seconds to complete.

German Based Nanoscribe Prints Spaceship With Dimensions Smaller Than That of the Width of a Human Hair

A few seconds into printing. (Image: YouTube screenshot)

More detail emerges after little more than 30 seconds of printing. (Image: YouTube screenshot)

Final product (Image: YouTube screenshot)

Here are a few up-close pictures of the spaceship taken through the view of a scanning electron microscope:

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Watch real-time the printing of the microstructure:

Learn more about the nano-lithography process of printing in this video:

–

Related:

(H/T: SlashGear)

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Comments (67)

JoshinIN
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 4:02pm
What is this? A spaceship for ants?

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- Dachande
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 6:33pm
  How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to fly… if they can’t even fit inside the spaceship? … I don’t wanna hear your excuses! The spaceship has to be at least… three times bigger than this!
  
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- proantisocialist
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 7:04pm
  The ship is .005 in length.now if you took an inch and cut it into 1000 slices,the length of the ship would equal 5 slices.
  
  Report this comment
- Dachande
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 7:44pm
  proantisocialist,
  
  It’s called humor. Had you any you’d also have understood the used movie quotes.
  
  Report this comment
- TouchStoneMT
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:07pm
  At that size, it would be too small for the hairs on a dust mite’s ****.
  
  Report this comment
selderane
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 3:31pm
No one is going to point out that the fighter is a Hellcat V? Am I the only “Wing Commander” fan here?

Truly, America is lost.

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- RejectFalseIcons
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 6:47pm
  YUP! It definitely is. Right down to the raised bumps on the mid fuselage and the four roundish bumps toward the engine.
  
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- IONNES
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 7:16pm
  Chalk up another for the Maniac!!!
  
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- Dachande
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 7:46pm
  I would have been more impressed with an old and new model of a Viper from BSG.
  
  Report this comment
Mr Sanders
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 3:00pm
Now…. 3D carbon nanotubes, and do a continuous print stream, you’re on your way to making the Space Elevator a reality.

Taking it a step further, what if the tech was able to create moving & interactive parts uniformly in their functional positions; I think this would be the next big step. Planning would be everything at this level of processing.

I’m excited to see the possibilities!

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- BenInNY
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 3:14pm
  They can already print working machines in a finished state – there was on shown on gbtv a couple weeks ago. Very cool.
  
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- TakeBackUSA
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 9:37pm
  …like sending the equipment to the moon to work in low-gravity and construct habitats from virgin materials. We already have enough samples to develop the right combination of materials to do the job. Send small crews to set it up, and away it goes. Now we have to set up an electromagnetic “cannon” to send the needed materials as projectiles, and “catch” them in lunar orbit. Amazing!
  
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Crashlander
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 2:31pm
Make no mistake about it. 3D printing will change the world.
3D printing will allow the design and assembly of a class of machine that it would not be physically possible to assemble from component parts. We have yet to see anything like them.
Look for revolutionary new machines from this technology.

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Antares2000
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 2:27pm
Here’s a bit of trivia…what is this an image of? Believe it or not, this is an actual top-down view of a space fighter from an old computer game from 1994, called Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger. The name of the fighter is a Hellcat V. Don’t believe me? Check out the link below. All I’m saying is that this design is not original.
Here’s the Hellcat V: http://static.wcnews.com/newershots/full/wcsaga-hellcat.jpg

Common Sense has come to FaceBook! Check out Citizens for Common Sense!
http://www.facebook.com/citizens4commonsense?ref=hl

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Newone
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 1:36pm
Suggestion: find the most artificially intelligent computer in the world, have it 3-D image itself on how it thinks it looks, and then have the computer 3-D image a human what the computer sees a human looks like to it.

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- Susan
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 1:42pm
  You have my interest!
  
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- Newone
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 4:19pm
  If the artificially intelligent computer prints a 3-D image of itself, will the image of the human, “its creator” be in the image of itself ?
  Do you follow what I am saying.
  
  Report this comment
DamoclesAurelius
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 1:11pm
If you think this is neat, look up MEMS

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Shrugged
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:49pm
When they did a 3-D print of Obama’s brain it was still too small to see.

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- USANUMBERONE
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 1:14pm
  God made everything.
  
  Report this comment
- napoleon_solo
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 4:10pm
  Not Obama he didn’t.
  
  Report this comment
vaman
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:43pm
Look how far we have gone when religion is taken out of scientific advancement.

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- hi
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:50pm
  Wait, it was intelligently designed. You, however, believe things just pop into and out of existence or evolve for no reason.
  Sorry but that didn’t just pop into existence or randomly evolve as you believe.
  
  Report this comment
- Shrugged
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 1:02pm
  I think an honest assessment of history would show the planet’s greatest scientific advancements occurred when the two paradigms were mutually influential.
  
  Report this comment
- TheCalmOne
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 5:42pm
  Where is this technology described in the Bible?
  
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RRFlyer
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:39pm
I don’t know why almost everything blaze puts up they expect my “Mind to be Blown.” I mean really, why can’t they just print a story without those grandiose headlines?

and no, my mind wasn’t blown

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- napoleon_solo
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 4:12pm
  Why don’t you go read a new site that fits your high standards?
  
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Sicialian Eyeball
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:32pm
Just wait till the military,sex industry,and thieving criminals come up with a way to exploit this technology and it will take off like a rocket.It will be in every home.

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right-wing-waco
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:27pm
Let’s 3-D print a real president.

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- kapnkd
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:40pm
  Agreed!! …Obozocommie is a FLAT out FAILURE! ;-))
  
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- newsjunkie
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:51pm
  Thats a great idea.
  
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Zeb
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:19pm
@chucksue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing

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SuperSuineg
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:03pm
i wounder if you could 3d print a 3d printer?

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- Mr. H.
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:16pm
  All but the electrical parts!
  
  Report this comment
SacredHonor1776
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:53am
Isn’t that a Hellcat V fighter from Wing Commander 3 and 4?

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- Ralleo
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:17pm
  Haha yep. that was EXACTLY what I was thinking when I saw that. I soo remember the Wing Commander games from back in my early days of computer gaming.
  
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imperative
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:44am
I’m starting to think that Beck has monetary investments in 3D printer technology, and is using his site as promotion.

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- seeker9
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:22pm
  Don’t know about Beck, but I own DDD and SSYS. Go GB! This technology is fantastic for prototyping.
  
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- hi
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 12:53pm
  I think he is a genius and gets easily bored. So, he has to learn about everything.
  
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Bobby D
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:33am
This process can duplicate precious metals at the indistinguishable level of naturally occurring ones. Then, all world currency can be backed sufficiently so as to rely only upon natural market forces in order to catapult each of us into financial paradise——-LOL………… remember i dont do sp. ck…..

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zetuff
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:30am
this is so stupid…. wasted time…. who gives a ****!

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- GroundZero is Nuclear Demolition x3
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:52am
  People who understand technology, and don’t want to get left behind like the “klingons” of religion.
  
  Report this comment
Bro. Chuck
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:22am
So now we have the technology for a real “Fantastic Voyage”?
…… I think it might need to be a wee bit smaller though.

Hey!
Is that Raquel Welch I see looking out the window?

They have been writing articles about “nano-bots” being loosed within the body to attack cancers & stuff…
I think its all fascinating – I mean, all that the human mind can envision and develop and implement.
Its a charecteristic we get from our Daddy…
The sad part is we always seem to ignore or diminish the Author & Creator of all things….

So we can work in a “micro-scopic” arena….
God works in the “Macro-scopic”….
just look at some Nasa Hubble pics of the Galaxy….

I prefer HIS Handiworks!

He Created those in 3-d and didn’t even have to use a printer thingie.

Be Bless’d in Yeshua!

Bro. Chuck

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- Zeb
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:42am
  And he created it in his minds eye, saw that that it was good. a little QA here. Then he deemed it into existence. Now a little thought on scale factors?
  
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KoolCaptain
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:01am
Ill have to loose some weight to ride on it.

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- KoolCaptain
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:05am
  OMG someone is going to criticize me because I forgot the appostrophee in I’ll. And then because I have NFI how to spell appostraphee. I quake in fear.
  
  Report this comment
- chucksue351
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:14am
  i guess i am getting old, but i don’t get the whole 3 d printing, can someone explain it in laymans terms
  
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- JQuentinEvermann
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:17am
  You have realized your own mistake, so I will allow you to wallow in your own shame without further criticism. Good day.
  
  Report this comment
- Georgiaboy54
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:17am
  Koolcaptain, it’s lose not loose.
  
  Report this comment
- woodyee
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:19am
  @ Chucksue – my head hurts from explaining micrometers…
  
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- DamoclesAurelius
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 1:34pm
  Chucksue:
  
  Works the same as a 2-D (ink) printer, just in one more direction. The printer layers the material according to a computer file of the part you want to make (called a CAD file). Other than that it works pretty much EXACTLY like a regular ink printer.
  
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woodyee
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:46am
For your enjoyment –

A micrometre (American spelling: micrometer, symbol µm) is an SI unit of length equal to one millionth of a metre, or about a tenth of the size of a droplet of mist or fog. It is also commonly known as a micron, although that term is officially outdated. It can be written in the expanded mathmatical notation (1×10-6 m)

The symbol µ is the “micro sign”, which should look identical to the Greek letter mu (?) (the two may or may not look the same, depending on the font). The symbol “um” is sometimes used, when the µ and ? are not available, for example when using a typewriter.

Source – http://www.convertunits.com/info/um

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- gyro
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:04am
  woodyee shame on you for referencing the size of joe bidens manly parts
  shame shame
  
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- MDECKER
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:52am
  Ok, now I understand! What about them Ravens?
  
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Gonzo
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:45am
Woah, my mind is blown Blaze. Pass the bong.

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gyro
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:42am
3D printers will make the star trek replicator posable with luck
Here is makes bones
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20444421

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- Bro. Chuck
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:23am
  I want the one from “Lost in Space”…..
  
  looked like an old maytag washing machine?
  
  lololol
  
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Melvin Spittle
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:42am
micro bacon created at 2:52! This is a true breakthrough! I smell a Nobel Prize….

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paulwbrown
Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:41am
I have heard Glenn talk about the printer and even with this brief article I still have no idea what it is actually producing.

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- gyro
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:45am
  big stuff is easy its the littke stuff thats cool
  If they can replicate a molecules they can build anything with nano tubes
  
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- Calm Voice of Reason
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:52am
  Think about all those random little parts that have you running to the hardware store while your plumbing is laid out on the kitchen floor, or that small piece for your car that’s no longer being manufactured. How about if you have a BETTER idea for a car part? At this point, hobbyist 3D printing can only handle simple polymer shapes with limited resolution, but there will come a day when other materials can be used. I have been following this technology for a while and I think it has the potential to make a large impact.
  
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- Zeb
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 11:53am
  Your problem is that you have ‘no idea’.
  It requires some conception for an input, creative thought.
  
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- napoleon_solo
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 4:24pm
  Was that necessary Zeb?
  
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- paulwbrown
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 4:31pm
  And ZEB if you had even a clue as to what good manners are, you would venture from your mother’s basement and face the real world that is not made up of anonymous clowns making snide comments.
  
  Report this comment

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