To Ban or Not to Ban Free Essays

Mariah Smyth English II Honors Holzberger 11 May 2012 To Ban or Not to Ban? Give me literature or give me death. Why stand we here idle? What is that gentlemen wish? What would they want? Is it text so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of the chains of censorship? Forbid it, almighty god! I know not what course others might take; but ask me give me literature, or give me death! (Parody of â€Å"Speech to the Virginia Convention†). For centuries people have been reading books to gain knowledge and to be entertained (Introductory Assignment Sheet). We will write a custom essay sample on To Ban or Not to Ban? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Kurt Vonnegut did a magnificent job writing a piece threaded with compassion of a tragic historical event leaving behind a conspicuous moral statement. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut should not be removed from shelves, because the book is eye-opening especially for young adults who are soon to enter the real world and become our future. Certain groups decided to challenge harsh reality of the truth written into an educational and humorous read. A school’s board article stated, â€Å"We’re not making a judgment call on if the book is good or bad, we just want to make sure it’s age appropriate† (School board removes 2 books from school). This is NOT an arguable reason considering Billy Pilgrim, the main character in Slaughterhouse-Five, went into war at the age of sixteen. The book states the facts. Vonnegut argues that war is inhumane. This IS arguable and negotiable; war is deceitful and tears apart homes. Educational supervisors are trying to ban a book that is making children aware of the gruesome effects of war, and warnings to create a more diplomatic world. Vonnegut served in World War II first handedly and wanted to stress the anxiety war puts upon people. While being a veteran, â€Å"Vonnegut once knew the comfort of such a community and home life, and knew also the feeling of having them wrenched away† (Twentieth-Century Writers 1950-1990). His goal in Slaughterhouse-Five was to create a third world era where â€Å"Tralfamadorians,† or aliens, known as the enemy took over and demonstrated manifestations of the immaturity of human species for creating war. Vonnegut’s Dresden bombing in literature explained that, â€Å"In the aftermath they were assigned the task of carrying out dead bodies from the ruins. The descriptions of the removal of the bodies are particularly gruesome reminders of the insanity† (Dresden bombing in literature). Vonnegut wanted a moral vision of war cutting social community. After being kidnapped by the extraterrestrial Tralfamadorians he attempted to find peace and learned that the only secret of life is to live only in the happy moments. His embellished comparison to overcoming a tragedy was an honorable mention for young readers. It helps them realize war is unacceptable along with everything that comes with it. In addition, Vonnegut wanted someone to, â€Å"tell him the secret so he can take it back to Earth and save us all: How can a planet live at peace? † (Kurt Vonnegut). Vonnegut stated this in Slaughterhouse-Five meaning war should not be believed to take place on Earth. When coming back from his third world era, â€Å"war,† he thought it would be different, but everything came back with him. Therefore, when young adults read Slaughterhouse-Five they will fathom the idea wars resolve nothing and to create world peace for our future. Also respect everyone who has and is serving in war learning the truth and unpleasant effects. However, you may argue war is still an issue today and the book is not age appropriate considering it is anti-war and putting horrid images in young reader’s mind. Overall, the book is reality and history. You cannot feed your children lies and candy coat everything. If Billy Pilgrim was capable of entering war at the age of sixteen, young adults are capable of facing the truth and forming opinions for themselves. Vonnegut wanted to leave behind a message, â€Å"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change courage to change the things I can and wisdom to always tell me the difference† (Kurt Vonnegut). We cannot change what has already happened, but we can prevent it from happening again. Slaughterhouse-Five sets a good example and should not be banned. Works Cited Quinn, Edward. â€Å"Dresden bombing in literature. † History in Literature: A Reader’s Guide to 20th Century History and the Literature it Inspired. New York: Facts On File, Inc. , 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. ttp://www. fofweb. com/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE53;iPin=HIL056;SingleRecord=True  (accessed April  30,  2012). Verde, Tom. â€Å"Vonnegut, Kurt. † Twentieth-Century Writers 1950–1990, American Profiles. New York: Facts On File, Inc. , 1996. (Updated 2007. ) American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www. fofweb. com/activelink2. asp ? ItemID=WE52;iPin=ffap20w20005;SingleRecord=True  (accessed April  30,  2012). Oakes, Elizabeth H. â€Å"Vonnegut, Kurt. † American Writers, American Biographies. New York: Facts On File, Inc. , 2004. (Updated 2007. ) American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www. fofweb. com/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE52;iPin=AW237;SingleRecord=True  (accessed April  30,  2012). â€Å"School board removes 2 books from school†. Copyright 2011 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). U. S. Government Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www. fofweb. com/activelink2. asp? p=details. aspx;ItemID=WE36;iPin=UPI-1-20110726-160202-bc-us-bookban-crn;SingleRecord=True  (accessed April  30,  2012). â€Å"Freedom Readers Assignment Sheet. † 4 May 2010. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 19991. Print. |   | How to cite To Ban or Not to Ban?, Papers

The Graphic Adaptation of The Cask of Amontillado free essay sample

Joe Sacco, born October 2, 1960, is an American journalist and illustrator who is well known for his art-comics, most notably being Palestine: Refugeeland. Refugeeland recounts Sacco’s experience in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, highlighting the difficult and unpleasant conditions that the Palestinian people were facing regarding the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Gulf War in the early nineties. Joe Sacco’s writing focuses upon the day to day experiences of a Palestinian from an outsider’s perspective. His meticulous drawings and eyewitness reporting style combine to create a very compelling and complex visual. Edgar Allen Poe was an American author, living from January 19, 1809 October 7, 1849, Poe is best known for his thrilling and macabre short stories. His final short story, The Cask of Amontillado, is a gloomy tale of murderous revenge, set in the catacombs of Italy, and embedded with symbolism told from a first-person narrative. Poe is a master of allegorical writing, his eerie works compel the reader to explore hidden meanings and ideas concealed within his works. Fantographics Books should strongly consider combining the artistic and literary talents of both Joe Sacco and Edgar Allen Poe to create a graphic novel, the detail filled drawings and intellectually stimulating narrative are guaranteed to appeal to the sophisticated and cultured readership of Fantographics Books. Context: Graphic novels are very important to literature. They can illuminate and expose parts of a story to a reader that would otherwise be hidden within the text. Through the use of visual imagery, the reader can gain more information and decipher parts of the story from a graphic novel that would other wise be assumed or lost in the text alone, such as the author’s intent. Graphic novels can also be read by a much larger audience than text stories, this is due to the fact that graphic novels do not solely rely on the text to tell the story. This would be most beneficial for publishing a story in an international market where the story would have to be translated to different languages. The reader can view the images and interpret the overarching idea of the story without having to read the text. An example of this can be seen in Robert Crumb’s visual interpretation of Franz Kafka’s short story, A Hunger Artist. The text version of the story was originally written in German, the story was then translated to English and many other languages around the world. Because of the difference in translations, some of the original meaning behind the story may have been lost. The difference between the text and illustrated versions of the story are very noticeable. An example can be seen in the different descriptions of artist himself. In Kafka’s version, the hunger artist is described as â€Å" a pale figure with enormously protruding ribs. nodding politely. answering questions with a forced smile † (465). In the graphic version of the story, Crumbs depiction is very different from realistic. While it makes no textual description of the hunger artist, it illustrates him as a very disturbed and reclusive man sitting in the back of an animal cage, he is not nodding politely or smiling, and he also appears to be on the verge of death (927). The visual depiction from the graphic novel aids in transforming the readers understanding of the text, otherwise the reader may be lost in translation. Why â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and Joseph Sacco: The descriptive details of a captivating story should be at the forefront of importance when beginning to create a graphic novel. It will eventually become the foundation for the drawings. Without such detail, the graphic novel will be unappealing to most readers, and because of this, the sales of the novel will suffer. For the best possible outcome regarding readership and sales, Fantographics Books should publish an illustrated version of Edgar Allan Poe’s short horror-story, The Cask of Amontillado. Poe’s dark and eerie narrative depicts the death of a person by being buried alive from a murder’s perspective. The story is overflowing with vivd imagery and detail. One such example from the story would be when the main character Montresor begins to lead Fortunato down the stairs into the catacombs of Montresor, â€Å"I took their sconces two flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato, bowed him through several suites of rooms to the archway that lead into the vaults. I passed down a long and winding staircase, requesting him to be cautious as he followed. We came to the length to the foot of the descent, and stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of Montresor† (724). It is clear to see how much detail is bound into one small paragraph, his choice in adjectives and his use of first-person pronouns such as â€Å"We† and â€Å"I† allow the reader to envision them selves in the story, which is an excellent starting point for developing a drawing. Poe establishes a very absorbing and thrilling tale through his use of such imagery, and this is precisely why Fantographics Books should strongly consider publishing an illustrated graphic version of The Cask of Amontillado. The artist who could best illustrate the graphic version of The Cask of Amontillado would be Joe Sacco. Joe Sacco has a background in journalistic reporting, a career that requires serious attention to detail to clearly and accurately relay all of the facts in a news story. In his artistic renderings, Joe Sacco uses an exorbitant amount of detail, which would mesh well with the many details and symbolisms within Poe’s writings. One such example would be from Joe Sacco’s graphic novel Refugeeland. The illustration in particular is on the second page of the story. It is a two page spread that depicts an arial view of a city. The graphic weight of the image leads the viewer’s eye around the drawing, the primary source being Sacco’s use of crosshatching to fill the different spacial grounds. It is filled with all of the normal things one would see in a city, such as buildings, cars, and people, except every possible space in the spread is filled with the tiniest detail. There are no text boxes or areas for dialogue on this spread, allowing the viewer to contemplate all of the details in the scene. Sacco makes every part of the image important, he doesnt focus on a particular object or person, which allows for different symbols or elements to be incorporated into the drawing. Poe is an author who uses symbolism is all parts of his writings, including character names, settings, colors, and diction. All of these symbols work together to create an intellectually stimulating story that causes the reader to pause and reconsider certain aspects hidden within the writing. The aura of mystery surrounding the setting of Edgar Allen Poe’s writing combined with the first-person perspectives in the illustrations of Joe Sacco would make this an exceptional pairing for Fantographics books to publish. Preview: In the middle of the story there is a scene where Montresor and Fortunato are in the catacombs, it is filled with various complex details describing the ambience of the crypt while the men carry out their vain attempt at finding the Amontillado, â€Å"We passed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux to glow than flame the walls had been lined with human remains † (725). In this scene, Joe Sacco will illustrate a two page splash capturing the entire crypt. In this splash, he will capture the intricate details of the catacombs by using hatching technique done with pen and ink. He will show the men descending past the different arches of the crypt from their perspective to make the reader feel like they are walking into the catacombs with the men too. When he illustrates this scene he will use a range of values to establish the fore, middle, and background, this will encapsulate a very important moment in the story that will lead the reader’s eye across the page and provide an opportunity to place symbols that Poe is known for into the drawing. His use of contrasting values in the scene will also convey the tone, which will be very grim and foreboding. Joe Sacco’s elaborate adaptation will be ideal for Poe’s mysterious short story. Challenges and Unknowns: Although it may be argued that Joe Sacco’s background as a journalist is not appropriate for such a monstrous fictional tale like The Cask of Amontillado, especially considering all other artistic possibilities, Joe Sacco is the most qualified artist for the job. Attention to detail is a major necessity for any artist who is thinking about taking on such a detail-rich story like The Cask of Amontillado, which is brimming with symbolism and subtle details. Joe Sacco’s background as a journalist is perfect for The Cask of Amontillado. In his career he focused upon depicting the perspective of the Palestinian people, his eyewitness style of writing is very fitting for the firsthand narration that Montresor delivers to the readers, which is evidence of Sacco’s ability to transform Poe’s writing into a graphic novel. Honorable Mention: Another artistic and literary combination that Fantographics Books could have possibly considered would be the pairing of Art Spiegelman, author and illustrator of Prisoner on the Hell Planet, with A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Spiegelman’s simplistic illustrations integrated with the magical realism of Marquez would have made for a very interesting combination. Visually, it would be very stimulating. Spiegelman has a sort of crazed intensity to his drawings, I think it would have been fun to see the bizarre happenings of A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings portrayed in a woodblock printing style. Ultimately, I decided to work with Sacco and Poe because visually and allegorically there is so much more to work with. I enjoy the macabre and thrilling nature of Poe’s writing more than magical realism that Marquez is known for. I also enjoy the realistic and complex style that Joe Sacco has as compared with Art Spiegelman, whose drawings are rather flat and disorganized.

Babylonian Law vs. Modern Law Essay Example

Babylonian Law vs. Modern Law Essay Max Sleeth Mr. Katz – P-6 10/16/12 Babylonian Law Essay (Rewritten) While few written texts exist from the Babylonian Empire of 1800 B. C documenting their history, there are many contracts detailing their laws. Several passages even include laws and customs. A great Babylonian King, Hammurabi, was successful in establishing a rule of exemplary law for his Kingdom. These laws provided women with the position of being free and dignified, protections for the weak and poor from oppression, and the establishment of a criminal code of punishment. Many penalties for crimes were very cruel which current day law in the U. S prohibits. Hammurabi was King of Babylonia from 1792 –18 50 B. C and believed he was chosen by the Gods to lead the people of Babylonia. He created a societal structure ruled by laws enforced by judges at court. Women were provided with freedoms through Hammurabi’s laws, such as â€Å"property that the wife had had before marriage is hers for life, like property or furniture†. Also with marriage â€Å"the husband pays the wife’s debt, she maintains her own property that she brought into the marriage, and she is always a member of her father’s house. In the event of a divorce the wife keeps custody of her children, and receives income from her husband until the children have grown up. † Babylonian law also looked to protect the weak and the poor. † Slaves were allowed to own property and even other slaves. They were allowed to bear children, who were then the property of the master. We will write a custom essay sample on Babylonian Law vs. Modern Law specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Babylonian Law vs. Modern Law specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Babylonian Law vs. Modern Law specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer To detain or hide a runaway slave was punishable by death, and the law stated they had to be returned to their owners. † The uniform system of law designed by Hammurabi allowed the elite, the common man, and the slave to work and live together in a peaceful way protected by fair laws. In today’s society however, slavery is illegal and there are not as defined social classes with different laws. One of the more impressive parts of Hammurabi’s law was his idea of punishment. In the Babylonian code punishments were made with hard evidence. If a man were to steal, he would only be accused if the property was found in his possession†. Punishments for crimes were â€Å"an eye for an eye, a limb for a limb, or a tooth for a tooth†. The death penalty was freely given out for theft and other crimes, such as â€Å"buying illegal goods from a slave, kidnapping, selling illegal goods, and causing a death of a house owner through bad construction. † The dea th penalty was also set in motion for a behavior or activity that put another person in danger of death. Current law is very restrictive in issuing a death sentence and is relatively rare in the U. S. Hammurabi was a great Babylonian King whose rule of law offered protections for the weak and the poor, provided women with the position of being free and dignified, and the establishment of a criminal code of punishment. These laws allowed the society, which consisted of people with different backgrounds, classes, and ethnic groups to live together with fair and just laws. Over the thousands of years the laws have significantly changed in our society. Women have the same rights as men, there are no more slaves and death punishments are rarely used here in the United States.

comments and criticism of CAPM essays

comments and criticism of CAPM essays Underlying assumptions and limitations of the CAPM The CAPM is a mathematical model, and like any model it is merely a representation of reality. All models are constructed from a set of underlying assumptions about the real world, they inevitably have their limitations. The CAPM is built on the following set of assumptions and limitations. Historic data. CAPM is a future- oriented model yet it essentially relies on historic data to predict future returns. Betas for example are calculated using historic data, consequently they may or may not be appropriate predictors of the variability or risk of future returns. The CAPM is not a deterministic model, the required returns suggested by the model can only be viewed as approximations. investor expectations and judgements. The model includes the expectations and subjective judgements of investors about future asset or security returns and these are very difficult to quantify. In addition the model also assumes that investor expectations and judgments are homogeneous i.e. identical. If investors have heterogeneous (i.e. varied) expectations about future returns they will essentially have different SMLs rather than a common SML as implied by the model. A perfect capital market. CAPM assumes an efficient or perfect capital market. An efficient capital market is one where all securities and assets are always correctly priced and where it is not possible to outperform the market consistently expect by luck. An efficient capital market implies that there are many small investors (all are price takers), all of whom are rational and risk averse; they each posses the same information and the same future expectations about securities. It also assumes that in the financial markets there are no transaction costs, no taxes and no limitations on investments. Investors fully diversified. The CAPM also assumes that investors are fully diversified. In practice many investors, particularly sm...

Stagnant Performance of Textile Industry of Pakistan Essay

Stagnant Performance of Textile Industry of Pakistan - Essay Example Industry is even experiencing other issues that have taken place internally, the workforce is under trained and the productivity levels are lower, there is a lack of leadership within the industry, the industry has failed to differentiate and add value. Other internal issues that are hurting the industry very badly includes high rate of inflation, low rate of production of power and increased rates of interest at which bank loans and funds are provided. Body There has been an increase in the demand for clothing and textile industry goods throughout the world (FAINI, 1992). Past two decades have experienced tremendous amount of success of the industry of textile. During the period 1990 the total export of textile conducted throughout the world was 212 billion and after 18 years it increased by $401 billion (Ahmed, 2012). Pakistan even witnessed an increase in the amount of textile goods produced and exported during the era of 1990 to 2008. During the period of 1990, Pakistan exported $3.6 billion worth of textile related goods and by 2008, this figure increased to 11 billion (SHARMA, 2006, p.19, LOPEZ ACEVEDO, 2012, p, 1999). Pakistan has experienced growth in the industry but has faced various obstacles and challenges due to which the growth rate has been slow. Pakistan’s share in the export of textile has declined to 1.81% during 2008 from 2.23% as recorded in 2005 (SCHAFFER, 2009, p.344). During this three years period the production of textile has remained volatile due to heavy increase in power prices and low amount of availability of power. Pakistan faces various problems due to which the growth of their textile industry has remained sluggish. The main element of any textile industry is cotton raw material and... This paper gives an insight into Pakistani textile industry and gives recommendations on its further development. The major role in the success of the textile industry of Pakistan has been plated by Cotton which is a very important raw material for the nation. Pakistan is regarded as the fourth most producer of cotton raw material and third most user of this raw material throughout the world. It is expected the industry will continue to grow and become one of the reason of economic growth in the economy of Pakistan. This industry has proven to attract foreign money into Pakistan’s economy and it is responsible for hiring the highest number of employees in Pakistan and there is no other industry that can replace it. Over the previous four decades the textile industry of this nation has displayed its strength in the international arena. Textile industry of Pakistan is not new and has a very huge history. The day when Pakistan gained existence on the world map, it had only two te xtile mills operational within the nation. Later, due to policies adopted by the government, the industry grew at a very fast pace. Today it is the leading sector of Pakistan and is the major contributor for the success of the economy of Pakistan and the manufacturing industry. The paper states that cost of production can be further decreased with the adoption and implementation of machinery that produces higher amount of bales as compared to the quality of bales being produced currently.

Discussion about influences has television had in our society Essay

Discussion about influences has television had in our society - Essay Example Television has both good influences and bad influences on society. The following essay will talk about these in detail. There is no doubt that Television has many good influences. Firstly, Television is an audio/visual medium making it easy for the audience to follow programs. It uses graphics, sound recording and film technology to bring lively and interesting material to the enjoyment of the audience. Many people when they come back from office or school switch on the Television and relax themselves. More importantly, it also provides news bulletins and science programs for gaining knowledge. For school-going children it offers sport programming like live baseball telecast, etc. All this are very useful and perform an important social role. In fact, Television has become such an important part of everyday life that we cannot imagine how life will be without Television. (Bignell, 2004) Television has been used for the purpose of education as well. For example, class-rooms can show s tudents interesting movies that are part of the curriculum. Class-room can also show recorded lectures and science documentaries. With respect to society, Television brings awareness about global issues so that all of us can act together. One example of this is global warming, about which information is provided in Television. With this we can act together and save the planet. Television also has plenty of advertisements. While some ads can be boring, some others provide information about products, which we can use when we go shopping. (Noll, 2011) Television not only performs a social role but also a family role. It brings all members of family together during evenings. In fact, it has become part of family routine at dinner time. Television gives news about weather conditions. We can take precautions against rain and storm by watching weather news. Also, Television is used these days in closed-circuit cameras for security reasons. On the negative side too, there are many points. F irst, watching Television for long time is bad for the eyes. Television can distract students from focussing on studies. It can make young children lazy and keep them away from books and sports. Parents are especially worried that Television has bad effect on society as it shows violence and crime. Young people can get the wrong idea about life watching such programs. For example, a young person watching use of guns on Television might later kill someone with a gun in real life. So it is very dangerous in cases like this. It also gives wrong idea about how to treat women, etc. In other words, Television can show women in stereotype fashion. Hence, not everything about Television is good. (Freedman, 2002) Television can cause problems in society by showing racial discrimination, etc. For example, if black people are not shown in programs, one gets the impression that they are not important people. Television news can also be flawed. For example, we cannot believe everything the news anchor says as truth. Sometimes they give inaccurate information to deceive the viewer. So one has to be careful about the truthfulness of news. Also, the information given in advertisements can be misleading. Many companies are just trying to make quick money and will show any false claims to sell products. So we have to be careful while watching Television. (Bignell, 2004) Finally, Television has many limitations which make it not useful for in-depth analysis. That is, Television can never replace the

3D Printing †Applications for Space Exploration

3D Printing – Applications for Space Exploration Puneet Bhalla 3D Printing or Additive Manufacturing (AM) was first tested in 1983 by inventor Chuck Hull. Conventional subtractive manufacturing involves carving out items from a single block of material, whereas AM involves adding plastic or metal layer by layer according to a computer generated design to manufacture a product. Over the years a number of processes that differ in the method of depositing of layers and their binding have been developed. The technology in the earlier years did not evolve enough for it to find mainstream support and its use was restricted to production of computer generated models and prototype research. Advances in metallurgy, miniaturisation and processing have now made it a more viable competitor to conventional manufacturing. It is even being called the third industrial revolution. Commercial enterprises having recognised the transformative potential of 3D printing, both in designing and manufacturing, are increasingly investing in it. It allows faster design iterations, providing flexibility for refinements and variations and produces more accurate 3D scaled models for testing. This helps in accelerating product development and manufacturing with corresponding cost benefits. It helps overcome constraints of conventional manufacturing and allows for more precision in manufacturing to produce more complex parts. The process allows for more cohesive structures and components can be constructed using much fewer parts, making them lighter, sturdier and more efficient. Large factories with their assembly lines can also be done away with. Existing parts can now be redesigned and designers can be more audacious in their pursuits, stepping beyond the constraints of conventional design and manufacturing, while seeking innovative solutions or entirely new capabilities. T he manufacturing process requires less material, reduces wastage during production and is more energy efficient, making it potentially more environment friendly. Objects can be created on demand, thereby eliminating costs, logistical complexities and wastages related to surplus inventories. Initial printers were capable of handling single materials only but the multi-jet technology is allowing combining of materials to produce varied material properties – mechanical, thermal and chemical. Nanotechnology coupled with 3D printing promises exciting opportunities in the future. Already, availability of cheaper printers has made the power of designing and producing publicly available. This democratising of manufacturing has the potential to revolutionise innovation. Market researcher Gartner forecasts that worldwide spending on 3D printing will rise from $1.6 billion in 2015 to around $13.4 billion in 2018.[1] Despite the excitement, there are experts who say that the technology m ight only evolve to supplement the conventional mass manufacturing methods that will continue to be faster and cheaper. They instead favour its suitability for niche and customised production. Space exploration has always been costly due to its requirement of low volume, customised and at times unique components. 3D printing is being seen by the space industry as enabling to the development of future space infrastructure. Various RD efforts both for ground based as also in orbit manufacturing are being supported with an aim to develop parts that could meet the stringent high performance and high reliability criteria required for space operations. NASA along with US rocket engine maker Aerojet Rocketdyne has successfully tested a rocket engine injector and an advanced rocket engine thrust chamber assembly using copper alloy materials, in different configurations.[2] The components proved themselves in tests where they were subjected to pressures of up to 1,400 pounds per square inch and temperatures up to 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit to produce 20,000 pounds of thrust.[3] NASA has claimed that 3D technology enabled designers to create more complex injectors while at the same ti me reducing the number of parts from 115 to just two.[4] This resulted in more efficient processes and also provided better thermal resilience. While the traditionally constructed injectors cost about $10,000 each and took six months to build, the 3D printed versions cost less than $5,000 and reached the test stand in a matter of weeks.[5] These tests have provided confidence in the technology and paved the way for its use in replacing other complex engine components. Already, many small 3D produced parts are flying in space onboard US and European satellites and more are being developed. ESA and European Commission’s Additive Manufacturing Aiming Towards Zero Waste Efficient Production of High-Tech Metal Products (AMAZE) project, has 28 European companies as partners that are looking at perfecting 3D printing of high quality metal components for aerospace applications. NASA is also evaluating using the technology for manufacturing composite CubeSats. China has also started investing in this technology and on its last manned space mission in 2013, their taikonauts occupied customised 3D printed seats. In December 2014, Chinese scientists have claimed to have produced a 3D printing machine, which could be used during space missions. Private companies the world over are investing heavily in the technology for aerospace applications.Japanese Space Agency JAXA along with Mitsubishi is working at producing 3D components for a new large-scale ro cket that the two are expected to develop by 2020. Swiss company RUAG Space has built an antenna support for an Earth observation (EO) satellite that will replace a conventionally manufactured one after tests. The engine chamber of SuperDraco thruster to be used on the crew version of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, capable of producing 16,000 pounds of thrust, is manufactured using 3D printing. A team of engineering students from the University of Arizona, with help from 3D printing company Solid Concepts, recently assembled a 3D printed rocket within a day and successfully tested it. Planetary Resources, a private company seeking space exploration and asteroid mining has collaborated with a company, 3D Systems for developing and manufacturing components for its ARKYD Series of spacecraft using its advanced 3D printing and digital manufacturing solutions.All these efforts are providing solutions that are cheaper, have lesser parts and have comparatively shorter developmental tim elines. In the future, the technology could be used for entire structure fabrication that would involve integrating many of the system’s geometries into structural elements during production. This would reduce the number of parts, eliminate most joints or welds, simplify the design and production, reduce the number of interfaces and make the system more efficient and safer. Such vehicles would better sustain the rigours of launch and space exploration. Integrated structures would even enable reconceptualising space architectures, impacting on their design, sizes and functionality. The most exciting opportunity is 3D printing of objects in space – an idea that has the potential to cause a paradigm change in the way we look at space exploration. The concept has been debated for decades and NASA has also conducted some experiments since theSkylab space stationof the 1970s. In 2010, it collaborated with a US company Made in Space to develop and test a 3D printer that could operate in microgravity aboard the International Space Station. The microwave oven sized printer, previously tested on suborbital flights, was installed on board the station on 17 November. After two calibration tests, on 24 November 2014, on command from the ground controllers, the printer produced the first 3D object in microgravity. The object was a faceplate of the printer itself, demonstrating that the printer could make replacement parts for itself. Initial results have shown that layer bonding might be different in microgravity, but this would have to be substantiated by further te sting on more such produced parts in the future. These parts will subsequently be returned to Earth where they will be compared with similar samples made by the same printer before launch and also analysed for effects of microgravity on them. This would help in evaluating the variance and possible advantages of additive manufacturing in space and in defining the roadmap for future developments. Meanwhile, Europes POP3D Portable On-Board Printer designed and built in Italy is also scheduled for installation aboard the ISS next year. Producing parts and structures in space potentially provides a host of benefits. Structures being constructed on Earth have to be built in an environment that is different from where they would operate. These parts also have to survive the vibrations and high ‘g’ stresses of launch. Freed from these constraints, novel space architectures, more optimised to the microgravity environment, can be imagined and developed. 3D printers in space would enable astronauts manufacture their own components and tools, undertake repairs, replace broken items and respond to evolving requirements without being dependent on support from Earth. This would bring down logistical requirements related to deployment of structures in space, while improving mission efficiency and reliability. NASA is even funding research into the possibility of making food in space using a 3D printer. This would overcome the current issues related to food shelf life, variety and nutritional requirements. It would be possible to have human missions of longer duration and venturing much further into space. Made In Space has an ongoing project R3DO that seeks to recycle 3D produced broken or redundant parts to create new ones, thereby helping reduce space waste. The technology in the future could be used for space based construction of large structures – even entire spacecraft in space. Another concept being envisaged is the use of 3D printing for construction of large housing structures, roads and launch pads using the resources available in-situ on celestial bodies. Concrete houses being produced through 3D printing have already been demonstrated. Both NASA and ESA are exploring printing of objects using Regolith, the powdery substance that covers much of the surface of the moon. Besides the huge savings in cost and time, such habitats would be more suited to the local hazardous environment. The printers could either be controlled from Earth or make use of automation technology on robots or artificial intelligence. These capabilities would be a great step forward for human interplanetary exploration. 3D printing is making rapid strides and its applications are being recognised by industry. Scientists are working to smoothen out the inefficiencies and shortcomings of the processes as also evaluating potential opportunities. Developments in the space domain are promising but these would have to be put through rigorous testing before being cleared for regular use. Qualification and verification standards that would eventually be defined for this new industry would have to be more stringent for use in space. More complex printers will have to be devised for construction of larger parts. Currently, most construction is focussed on building frames and structures but in the future would also require manufacturing techniques to producing working electronic components.[6] For production in space, bigger printers would bring forth issues of mass, volume and power requirements, each one of which is critical for space launch and operations. Some methods would also have to be devised to bring together the parts so produced. The new technology provides an avenue for space industries the world over to graduate to common standards of software as well as hardware. This would allow a larger pool of scientists and engineers coming together learning and benefiting from each other. At the same time, and the policy makers would also have to come up with requisite regulatory framework. In India, 3D printing technology is still in its infancy and its penetration is low among industry is low. Most institutions continue to use it for producing 3D Computer Assisted Design (CAD) models and for prototype testing. Some global additive manufacturing companies have gained foothold in India through collaborations and there are some indigenous initiatives too. Isolated research is being undertaken by some private and public sector entities including the DRDO. Private companies are collaborating with some engineering institutions like IITs to promote research. There is also the Additive Manufacturing Society of India (AMSI) that seeks to promote 3D printing Additive Manufacturing technologies. Applications for Defence and Aerospace are two important sectors that most companies are focussing on. ISRO chairman, after the successful Mars Orbiter Mission, mentioned 3D Printing as one of the technologies that he wishes to see Indian engineers build upon in the future. India has la gged behind in conventional manufacturing and metallurgy. It could leverage its advances in software technology and collaborate with international experts to initiate activities in this sunshine sector. While increased awareness and commercial benefits will drive industry to invest in the sector, space initiatives would require the government to play the vital supporting role while seeking participation from industry and academia. Investments would be required in planning and executing the supporting infrastructure required to enable fabrication processes, in creating knowledge and capabilities through education and training and for provision of adequate RD facilities. [1] â€Å"From earphones to jet engines, 3D printing takes off†, 09 November, 2014 [2] â€Å"3-D Printed Engine Parts Withstand Hot Fire Tests†, 14 November, 2014 [3] TheAerojet Rocketdyne RS-25engine powered NASA’sSpace Shuttleand will power the upcoming Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy-lift, exploration-class rocket currently under development to take humans beyond Earth orbit and Mars. [4] ww.space.com/22568-3d-printed-rocket-engine-test-video.html [5] http://www.space.com/22119-3d-printed-rocket-part-test.html [6] http://www.space.com/26676-3d-printing-international-space-station.html