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23 time of development and production dra- matically, it has been picked up and further developed by a wide range of industry sectors including space science and fashion design. Te National Aeronautics and Space Ad- ministration (NASA) and other international space agencies are pressing forward with 3D printing. In NASA, engineers are 3D print- ing small satellites that could shoot out of the Space Station to transmit data, as well as replacement parts that can survive extreme temperatures. Te space agency is also preparing to launch a toaster-sized 3-D printer into space next year in an efort to reduce the need for astronauts to load up with tools and parts they need. In August, NASA successfully test- ed a metal 3D printed rocket component as part of its drive to reduce the costs of space exploration. Another one of the space agency’s major felds of interest is 3D-printed food. In May, Anjan Contractor, a mechanical engineer at Systems and Materials Research Corpora- tion in Austin, Texas, was reported to have been given $125,000 by the agency to con- struct a prototype 3D food printer to make healthier food in space. It is hoped the system could provide astronauts with food during long-distance space travel, but Contractor also expects the printer to solve the increas- ing food shortages around the world by cut- ting down on waste. Te food printer uses building blocks of food in replaceable powder cartridges. By combining each block, a wide range of foods should be able to be created by the printer. Te cartridges will have a lifespan of 30 years, more than long enough to enable long-dis- tance space travel. 3D printing is also leaving its mark with fashion industry. In July, Stratasys unveiled 12 pairs of 3D printed shoes on the famous catwalks of Paris Fashion Week, created in collaboration with Dutch designers Iris van Herpen and Rem D Koolhaas. Sport shoe industry leaders Nike and Adi- das have used the technology to prototype new models. According to UK-based busi- ness daily the Financial Times, the global sports shoe giants make multiple prototype versions of their shoes at a previously impos- sible speed. In Adidas’ case, product evalua- tions used to take four to six weeks. By using 3D printing technology, however, end-to-end product evaluations take only two days, the newspaper reported. 3D printers are also widely used for medi- cal purposes including plastic surgery, ortho- dontic movement and artifcial hands/legs. Using 3D printing technology, surgeons per- form simulated surgery operations ahead of actual operations, resulting in higher medical efciency. In Feburary, researchers at Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University successfully devel- oped a 3D printer designed to print human embryonic stem cells. Once this technology is taken to the next level, 3D human organs can be produced, therefore ensuring reliable,