New dawn ... 3D printing is set to revolutionalise space exploration. Source: NASA Source: Supplied

It’s also being touted significant ‘first step’ in the future of space exploration:

“My colleagues and I just 3D-printed a ratcheting socket wrench on the International Space Station by typing some commands on our computer in California,” manufacturer Made In Space Inc proudly broadcast to the world.

It would otherwise have taken months — if not years — and tens of thousands of dollars. Designing and building a handheld tool is relatively easy anywhere: But waiting for space and weight to become available on a scheduled supply launch is a killer

Put into perspective, the cost of sending just 1kg from the ground to the space station is somewhat more than $30,000 a kilo.

Special delivery ... An astronaut collects the freshly printed wrench for the International Space Station’s new 3D printer. Source: NASA Source: Supplied

So when the suppliers of the ISS’s brand-spanking new 3D printer — delivered only in September — overheard one of the astronauts complaining that he didn’t have the right wrench, they emailed him one.

It wasn’t the firs thing they had printed. But it was the first highly specialised part to be designed on Earth to be transmitted for immediate use. It took just four-hours.

First they 3D modelled a ratcheting socket wrench, making a few refinements to suit the conditions. In all, the tool required 21 individual parts.

Make your own ... The printed components which have been assembled into a fully functional socket wrench. Source: NASA Source: Supplied

The digital handover took seconds: It was as simple as attaching a file to an email after all.

“On the ISS this type of technology translates to lower costs for experiments, faster design iteration, and a safer, better experience for the crew members, who can use it to replace broken parts or create new tools on demand,” the spokesman says. “But what I’m really excited about is the impact this could have on human space exploration beyond Earth orbit.

Ground control ... The offices of Made in Space Inc, which designed, transmitted and delivered the wrench to the space station in four hours. Source: NASA Source: Supplied

“When we do set up the first human colonies on the moon, Mars and beyond, we won’t use rockets to bring along everything we need. We’ll build what we need there, when we need it.”

Now that its purpose has been completed, the humble wrench will make its first trip back to Earth.

Here it will be examined in fine detail to determine the effects of weightlessness on the printing process. It’ll help iron-out any small — but often important — discrepancies in size and shape produced by the weightless environment.

@JamieSeidel