While it isn't quite the magical wave of hand envisioned in Star Trek, 3D printers are still pretty close to the replicators seen from The Next Generation on, able to fabricate body parts, cars, and even food from raw materials. It's no wonder NASA wants them to build tools, rocket engines, and even housing on Mars. But now, NASA has launched a challenge meant to bring kids into the mix: it wants 3D printed food implements.

It's not quite the same as, say, a 3D printed pizza. But what NASA wants is, essentially, kitchenware and food growing aids. In the Star Trek Replicator competition, it wants "non-edible, food-related item for astronauts to 3D print in the year 2050," which is around when we'll supposedly be on Mars. Ish.

The design guidelines are fairly open ended, but there are a few ground rules. It must not be bigger than 6 inches cubed (6"x6"x6".) The K-12 student designing it must designate where it will be 3D printed, and why it's suited for that environment. It must advance long term space exploration. And it must involve only a single material (so there's no printing, say, a metal alloy and plastic into the same object.)

The contest kicks off today, with entries due by May 1. Four finalists will win a 3D printer for their school and a PancakeBot for themselves, while the grand prize is a tour of the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum in New York with an astronaut, a bunch of Star Trek swag, and more. There are multiple eligible age groups, so if you have a school aged child, this could be just the contest for them. More information is available here.

Source: Gizmodo

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