X-59 3D Printing

nasa.gov

63 points·Jsebast24··13 comments

lots of other 3D models available at https://science.nasa.gov/3d-resources/

Hubble 3D Models

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/multimedia/3d-hubble...

Curiosity Rover

https://science.nasa.gov/resource/curiosity-rover-3d-model/

If you have no 3D printer, .stl files are viewable in the Mac OS Finder. Just download the file, select it and hit the spacebar: a 3D rendering of the .stl can be rotated.

Windows 10 also has a built-in viewer for STL files [0]. It appears to be an optional download in Windows 11 though [1].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_3D_Viewer

[1] https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nblggh42ths

Are there any particular 3D printers recommended for these NASA models?

As the other comment suggests, any printer will do. For this particular model, I think a 3D printer with "good resolution" will give the best results. So a resin printer will probably give a smoother finished model than a filament printer.

Loaded up the models into my slicer, looks like a pretty straightforward print. Should print on anything "mainstream", I reckon. About 4h worth of printing on my Bambu P1S.

This is a really neat tip! Thanks!

That title is missing the scale. I assume it's not intended to be printed at 1:1?

Heh, wonder how well this would fly if done with a 3d metal printer and powered by an rc sized jet turbine engine?

Sounds pretty deadly!

Not really what I was hoping for... :/

Got briefly excited thinking they’d actually 3D printed the real thing

> The X-59 experimental aircraft is approximately 100 feet long and is designed to fly at Mach 1.4 (925 mph).

I'm sorry, but my 3D printer isn't big enough to print a 100 foot long object, and I doubt PLA will hold up at Mach 1.4

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