Europe's newest rocket soon launches, taking with it many space missions each with a unique objective, destination and team at home, cheering them on. Whether into Earth orbit to look back and study Earth, peer out to deep space or test important new technologies, Ariane 6's first flight will showcase the versatility and flexibility of this impressive, heavy-lift launcher.

The Replicator mission, from Warsaw, Poland, and Berlin, Germany, based startup Orbital Matter, will launch on Ariane 6 to demonstrate a new 3D printing technology in orbit, potentially opening the door to new space structures that wouldn't have been possible otherwise, made using fewer resources.

The name "Replicator" is a homage to the many forms of advanced manufacturing methods in science fiction, capable of making complex products, ready to use: Star Trek's kitchen microwave-like Replicators could synthesize meals on demand; the Von Neumann Probe is a conceptualized spacecraft capable of exponentially self-replicating; and in the Stargate series, Replicators are a highly advanced machine race capable of reproducing themselves indefinitely.