3D-printed NASA satellite marks ‘game-changer’ for space exploration: Michio Kaku

NASA’s mission to the moon has returned – but this time, with a modern tech twist.

A 3D-printed satellite the size of a microwave oven was launched into space Tuesday, embarking on a new path around the moon in hopes of retrieving new information for future astronaut exploration.

American physicist and author Michio Kaku called the CAPSTONE CubeSat launch a “game changer” for spaceflight on “Varney & Co.” Thursday.

“Space travel has been haunted by a dirty four-letter word: cost,” Kaku told FOX Business’ Stuart Varney. “It costs $10,000 to put a pound of anything into orbit around the Earth. That’s your weight in solid gold. That’s the cost of space travel.”

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The ability to 3D print rocket and satellite parts would lower costs ten-fold and the number of parts by the hundreds, according to the expert physicist.

“This could be a game-changer,” Kaku said. “We could be witnessing a new era in spaceflight when booster rockets are reusable and printed on a 3D printer.”

NASA eventually plans to put a space station called Gateway into the satellite’s orbital path, allowing astronauts to more easily descend on the moon’s surface, according to the Associated Press.

“In the coming years, practically every year, there’s going to be a new milestone with regards to going back to the moon,” Kaku mentioned of the mission.

Following Tuesday’s successful launch, the physicist explained the next step for man ahead of the next giant leap for mankind.

“Next month will be the first genuine two-stage rocket that is entirely 3D-printed to be launched by Relativity Space into orbit,” Kaku said. “We’re talking about a new era, a new chapter in the history of space exploration when costs are going to drop because rockets are reusable and 3D-printed.”

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