This 3D - print toolbox was design to put in instrument for preserve Europe ’s Columbus research module , and now it is on its way to the International Space Station via European Space Agency ’s latest ATV resupply spacecraft .
( Liftoff is set for 23:52 CEST – 21:52 GMT – today , ESA says . )
The main introduction is that it has little clips to hold the tools in place , instead of the Velcro insert that may drop off their stickiness over time . ( However the toolbox exterior still has Velcro cover , so it wo n’t drift off while cosmonaut work . )
This multitray toolbox is every handyman ’s dream . It is very much like something you could buy at a hardware store , strong and lightweight — but it was only publish using ULTEM 9085 thermoplastic . And then whole stuff look great and very well organized .
The tools themselves will vanish on an individual basis in a soft pouch on ATV Albert Einstein because it turned out to be bare and cheaper to launch them in a cup of tea rather than have to perform complex vibration testing on the toolbox with all its creature inside .
“ At the moment , there are five disjoined bags that tools are salt away in , but crewman have kick in that this set - up is inept and time - consuming ” – explain ESA ’s task loss leader , Bram Bekooy . The unexampled toolbox plus tools will be evaluated for pragmatic use by ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano , presently aboard the orbital outpost for a six - month stay .
Photo : ESA / Thales Alenia Space
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