Project manager Matthew Napoli, far left, and director of research …

AP FILE PHOTO, SEPT. 16 | published: September 30, 2013

Project manager Matthew Napoli, far left, and director of research and development Michael Snyder test a 3-D printer, which eventually will be used in space, at Made in Space in Mountain View, Calif. One of the biggest obstacles to space exploration is that you need to bring everything with you: tools, equipment, spare parts, satellites. NASA is working with a Silicon Valley company to make specialized 3-D printers that would allow astronauts to produce the things they need on demand when they’re in space, allowing them to travel farther from the Earth.