Once considered a novel technology in plastics rapid prototyping settings and lab spaces, 3D printing is now an essential tool for a fascinating industry―rocket manufacturing. Engineers and manufacturers now use metal 3D printing technology to create 3D-printed rockets, a development that may make space exploration more feasible than ever.
How and Why to Print 3D Rockets
3D printing has gained popularity for its ability to manufacture affordable, customized shapes that most manufacturing techniques cannot. The aerospace industry often requires novel components, so 3D printing is a natural fit. As is true with more stereotypical plastics 3D printing, metal 3D printing in rocket development significantly reduces the time it takes to prototype an idea.
3D Printed Rocket Systems
Repeated manufacturing and testing are considerably faster with 3D printed rocket systems, which provides a drastic development advantage from both a capital and time perspective. Traditional rocket manufacturing requires state-of-the-art equipment and complex tooling setups, making it extremely difficult and costly to alter a design. 3D printing, however, can significantly overhaul the necessary tools and setups associated with rigid manufacturing techniques. With 3D printing, the rocket industry has found a cost-effective and efficient solution.
Advantages of 3D Printing
Another significant advantage of 3D printing in rocket technology is a reduction in the part count. For example, most of a rocket's volume is taken up by fuel, which means it must safely store fuel in leakproof, isolated chambers. Traditional manufacturing techniques require a plethora of fasteners, gaskets, and o-rings to effectively isolate fuel types and keep the rocket functioning safely and correctly.
A traditional rocket can have up to 100,000 parts, but 3D printed rockets may lower the component count to around 1,000. 3D printing can drastically reduce part count in rocket fuel tanks and engines, and provide extremely optimized structure, reduced labor, reduced cost, and optimized performance. This flexibility in the design space can help optimize weight, fuel flow, and thermal management, and with optimization comes efficiency. An increase in rocket efficiency directly translates to an increase in rocket power and travelable distance.
Three Leaders in 3D Printed Rockets
SpaceX: On top of manufacturing some of the most powerful rockets in history and the first reusable rockets to safely land back on earth, SpaceX also uses 3D printing throughout its manufacturing process. Most notably, SpaceX embraced metal 3D printing to create the SuperDraco engines that are utilized in its Dragon spacecraft to transport both people and cargo.
Relativity: This may be the most famous 3D printing-focused rocket manufacturer in the world, and its manufacturing processes rely almost entirely on 3D printing. Relativity utilizes Directed Energy Deposition (DED) and Direct Metal Laser Sintering, among other proprietary technologies, to create 3D printed rockets. Its most notable achievement is its manufacturing process, which boasts a patented data-driven machine learning algorithm that optimizes control loops for "Stargate," its proprietary 3D printer system, which is also the world's largest metal 3D printer.
Ursa Major: This Colorado-based startup with ties to Ball Aerospace, ULA, NASA, and Lockheed Martin, is focused on commercializing the micro- and nano-satellite launch market. These rockets redefine the meaning of 'small but deadly,' as they can produce over 5000 lbs. of force and are roughly the size of a backpack. Ursa Major relies on 3D printing technology to manufacture highly optimized rocket engines that can propel small, impactful communications satellites for companies. Ursa Major aims to be the de facto organization for mass deployment of small satellites.
The Future of 3D Rocket Printing
3D-printed rockets may be the future of space flight, pushing our rocket capabilities to new heights. Many rocket companies and startups are exploring and utilizing 3D printing technology―if only for a few critical components―to allow engineers to explore the design space at a much faster rate. One thing is certain: it's only a matter of time until we figure out how to get one of these 3D printers to Mars.