The OP asks, "Why carry out a very expensive launch into space to resupply the ISS..." and the answer is pretty simple...

It's expensive to boost mass up into orbit. 3D printers take raw materials to print with. It's either send up the raw materials for the 3D printer to use, or send up the finished product, and pay for that launch. One could I suppose harvest space junk and asteroids and use that material, but that's not going to come cheap either.

Note, this is the truth of the ISS. Something like a base on Mars or the Moon, that's another story. Then it's worth figuring out how to utilize the local resources to feed a 3D printer.

Now I know who will be the first to industrialize Mars.

I just got a check for some odd EBay related class action. Total reward to me was something like $1.60, but my total disbursement was a whopping $0.08 after I assume "processing and legal fees". Just to be irritating and get my money's worth, I thought I should call up the contact number and ask lots of questions so I get my money's worth from the lawyers.

The last job interview I had gave me homework to do. They pointed me to a public dataset, and had me write a web-app that could read and display it. Language, tools, platform, etc. didn't matter. Even getting it all done didn't matter. But I had to explain why I chose what I did, and how I would have implemented the parts I didn't finish.

This is pretty much like the real world is - where it's an open book kind of world. Where you can Google, grab open source libs, etc. A job where you couldn't look things up would be a kind of odd one.

A comparison to make here is with Neill Blomkamp's pre District 9 work, the Tetra Vaal short.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6645931304419661379

Some people say it's over rated, but give it a try. It's also open source! Careful though because it can make you think about things.

Don't put up the posters unless you've got the guts to call them cretins to their faces. And don't be surprised at the reaction you get.

I know it's hard to find and there are often zombies and spiders near by, but he should just have mined some redstone and used it instead.

It's important to point out that this game was NOT funded by NASA nor was it designed or built by them. It was done by the same team that did America's Army. All NASA has done is give them permission to put NASA's "stamp of approval" on the game. It's up to the developer to figure out how they are going to make it into a profitable game and pay for it.

Which of course is actually WORSE than the idea of NASA funding it. The developers are showing little understanding of how to create a game that has broader appeal let alone a feasible business model or revenue model that will fund it's continued development and growth.

And it also is commentary on NASA that they've managed to allow a dog of a game concept to have their name on it.

NASA would be far more successful to get the message out that "space is cool" and "science and math is important" if they'd encouraged development of "Farmville on Mars" or "Evony on Mars minus the combat"

This game was NOT funded by NASA nor was it designed or built by them. It was done by the same team that did America's Army.

All NASA has done is give them permission to put NASA's "stamp of approval" on the game. It's up to the developer to figure out how they are going to make it into a profitable game and pay for it.

Which of course is actually WORSE than the idea of NASA funding it. The developers are showing little understanding of how to create a game that has appeal let alone a feasible business model or revenue model that will fund it's continued development and growth.

Good point. The Orion itself is a nice little pod for sending up a group of people. The catch is getting that little pod up there! And as another poster points out, there's the Dragon module.

The idea of a SDV (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle-Derived_Launch_Vehicle) seems a lot better idea to me than this massive new launcher. Builds on known technology, a lot less up-front cost, fewer unknowns, etc.

To me, these "other uses" are simply PR that's trying to salvage a program concept that's in deep trouble.

All you gotta do is tie a cardboard mask around your face with string, and you're good to go!