BeeHex, a Texas company commissioned by NASA, has developed a device to 3D Print pizzas for astronauts who are scheduled to go Mars around 2030. While this device will churn out fine pizzas within half a minute, the bio-ink is edible and will roll out its manufacture soon.

The collaborative venture of NASA, American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and Future Engineers, an online education platform, has led to some 3d Printing Challenges recently, and now they have come up with the Mars Medical Challenge. Aiming directly towards future Mars mission, this challenge asks participants to create a digital 3D model of a medical or dental item that an astronaut could use on a three-year mission to Mars.

A Chilean startup Copper3D had recently unveiled PLACTIVE, an antibacterial 3D printing filament designed for the production of medical devices such as prosthetics and braces. Taking interest in PLACTIVE, the NASA Nebraska Space Grant is working with the University of Nebraska Omaha and Copper3D on a study of PLACTIVE and states the new material has already passed very exhaustive laboratory tests with +99.99% elimination of most dangerous bacterial strains.