Curtis Manning, an engineer in the Rapid Prototyping Laboratory at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, shows off an intricate, detailed three-dimensional hardware sample created — without benefit of a mold — from a composite material. The laboratory includes seven state-of-the-art machines which can build small, relatively inexpensive models, full-sized machine parts or ready-to-work tools using metallic dust, liquid resin or even special plastic that resembles fishing line. Engineers can even use the 3D manufacturing technique to perform basic tests on prototypes before committing to traditional construction or fabrication of parts. Rapid prototyping could enable future astronauts to build replacement tools or parts in space, doing away with the need for long delivery waits from Earth. Learn more about the laboratory at http://ed.msfc.nasa.gov/ncam. (NASA/MSFC)