Today On the Astronomy Picture of the Day web site, http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html , You can explore asteroid Vesta. From here you can also print a 3D model.
Having just paid my taxes, it is gratifying to see at least some of my tax dollars go to fund amazing discoveries and creation of software like this. Kudos to the folks at NASA. Just one more example of the way that 3D printing is going to bring in big changes, in ways we can't even imagine right now.
The time is not far off when a 3D printer will be a common item in the home shop.
Cool!...
I've been scratching the surface on the 3D printer stuff in the past couple years. I mostly get my work done at shapeways.com. They're priced well and they can print almost anything I'd want.
Some day, I'm going to build that 3D printer / hobby CNC machine of my own...
Thanks for posting.