NASA 3D-Printed Rocket Engine Injector Withstands Hot-Fire Test

NASA subjected its new rocket engine injector to a series of high-pressure fire tests involving liquid oxygen and gaseous hydrogen

NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne fired a rocket engine injector at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio that was made using a 3D printer. The project, done in collaboration between NASA and private industry, aims at speeding up the manufacture of rocket components while reducing costs.

On Thursday, NASA subjected its new rocket engine injector to a series of high-pressure fire tests involving liquid oxygen and gaseous hydrogen.

The 3D printing process that was used is known as a laser additive process. This method employs high-powered laser beams, focused on a bed of metallic powder, to melt and fuse fine metallic powders into three dimensional structures. In the end, the excess powder is brushed off and the final product remains.

"NASA recognizes that on Earth and potentially in space, additive manufacturing can be game-changing for new mission opportunities, significantly reducing production time and cost by 'printing' tools, engine parts or even entire spacecraft," said Michael Gazarik, NASA's associate administrator for space technology in Washington. "3-D manufacturing offers opportunities to optimize the fit, form and delivery systems of materials that will enable our space missions while directly benefiting American businesses here on Earth."

"Rocket engine components are complex machined pieces that require significant labor and time to produce. The injector is one of the most expensive components of an engine," said Tyler Hickman, who led the testing at Gleen. Additive manufacturing not only reduces development time from over a year to a number of months but also cuts costs by more than 70 percent. The agency says has no plans to test its printed components in a live test flight until 2017.

Leding The Testing At Gleen, Tyler Hickman In Red Shirt Says The Injector Is One Of The Most Expensive Components Of An Engine

The Manufacturing Innovation Project is supported by the Game Changing Technology Program in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, which is innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use in NASA’s future missions.

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Write by: RC - Saturday, July 13, 2013