The proposed CRISSP effort directly supports the "In-Space Assembly, Fabrication and Repair" technical need identified in NASA Technology Roadmap 2012 TA12; WBS 2.4.1.d. The CRISSP technology will enable on-orbit production of 3D printer filament from recyclable packaging for a range of NASA missions. It will also lower costs for a range of ambitious missions, including manned exploration missions to Mars, commercial asteroid resource utilization missions, and large manned habitats in Earth orbit and beyond by enabling sustainable, closed-cycle manufacturing in space. TUI anticipates that this technology will be of interest to other parties who are printing on the ISS, and these parties may be willing to subsidize or even pay other parties to use CRISSP packaging so that they can use that material on the station.
We expect that the advancements made to packaging materials will be ideal for at-home and profes-sional users of 3D printers. Over 25 billion pounds of thermoplastic are used in packaging every year, and providing a means to recycle this packaging into high quality 3D printer material has the potential for cost-savings both commercially and for the home user while reducing the amount of waste which is sent to landfills.
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