WASHINGTON, July 25 (UPI) -- Anyone with a computer, internet connection and 3-D printer can now make miniature replicas of satellites, probes and planets.
NASA released 21 files this week, each one 3-D printer instructions for various spacecraft and cosmic bodies, including asteroids. The files, available for download on NASA's website, are in .stl (stereolithography) format.
Available for replication are 15 NASA spacecraft, including the Cassini, Mars Odyssey and Voyager probes. One of the files allows users to print a miniature version of Earth's moon. Another features the digitized dimensions of Vesta, one of the largest asteroids traveling through the solar system.
The files are scaled down so no model will exceed four inches in any dimension. NASA warns that each model "may not yet be ideal for printing," and that if users have trouble printing they can try tweaking the dimensions. "We welcome your feedback on your experience," the agency says.