Abstract: Current 3D printing capabilities onboard the International Space Station (ISS) are classified as experimental payloads. As payloads the products of these printers are returned to the ground for testing and analysis. However, it has long been thought that 3D printing must one day become a tool of space operations much like the electrical diagnostic equipment, and the soldering iron. This paper explores a case study in the use of one of the payload 3D printers to manufacture a device to be used…