Star Trek

In order to create starships that do not require large amounts of cargo space to store all of the food, medical supplies, and other gear needed by the crew which would require very large ships and excessive amounts of fuel to be used along with many port lay overs to restock the ship a Replicator has to be present in order to create what is needed aboard the ship where the material to create what is needed is stored in the cargo holds instead of the actual gear.

Such a device is called the 3D Printer

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/3d-printer-prizefight-makerbot-replicator-2-vs-formlabs-form-1-14731437

3D Printing has evolved from being able to recreate small objects such as dice all the way upto a jet engine that actually would actually work if built from metal alloys.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/news/how-to-build-a-working-replica-jet-engine-with-a-3d-printer

The 3D Printing process is even able to create food items.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/24/technology/3D_food_printer/index.htm

Two processes that are missing is too actually create a meal where heat is applied to each layer that comes out of the 3D printing machine as it is created to bake each layer so that simple items likes Chocolate Cake can be made.

The second process is recycling the utensils and plates along with the uneaten food back into their base ingrediants so that they can be again until the supply runs out requiring a stop over at a station or planet.

Once the 3D Printing Process is able to conquer these two obstacles the means for humans to cost effectively travel in and explore space will give humans the ability to go where no human has gone before.

http://creativemachines.cornell.edu/cuneiform

Reduce, re-use  and recycling is the best way to save the envionment and save the natural resources for the future.

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