As space agencies around the globe continue to pursue a wide range of activities, manned missions are few and far between. Even President Obama mentioned going to Mars in his State Of the Onion speech, and everyone knows Elon Musk is mentally already there. This is the one clear destination that is on the radar and agenda for space lovers all over the Earth. Objective: a manned mission to Mars.
On our planet, all the planning is happening. One group calling themselves Mars Without Borders (MWOB), founded by Dr. Susan Jewell, recently set out on a simulated mission to test the usefulness of 3D printed instruments and surgical tools in the deserts of Utah.
Matteo Borri, MWOB Crew Engineer, adapted a desktop 3D printer to run on solar power and designed a prototype scalpel blade handle and several prototype parts for fixing “life support systems” on the Red Planet. According to the 
Photography Credit: Susan Jewell
