It has been a big week for the rocket 3D printing industry, withRelativity SpaceandLauncherboth announcing significant advances in their aerospace programs.
Relativity Space has revealed that it’s set to attempt its first launch of the 3D printedTerran 1火箭以嬉戏的好运，玩得开心或“ glhf”，现在预计会不会脱颖而出。与此同时，该公司赢得了170万美元US Space Forcecontract to help accelerate the R&D of the ‘E-2,’ a rocket engine that’s known to feature a 3D printed combustion chamber and turbopump.
“What we’re doing now is taking it to the next level, which is a long-duration test and the turbopump,” Max Haot, Founder and CEO of Launcher,told Space News在宣布合同的新闻发布会上。“我们也很兴奋，他们（美国太空部队）看到了分阶段燃烧引擎及其高性能的价值。”
Putting the E-2 through its paces
Since its foundation in 2017, Launcher has devoted much of its efforts to the development of its closed-cycle high-performance E-2 liquid rocket engine. Designed to power the firm’sLauncher Lightlaunch vehicle, which is due to enter service in 2024, the propulsion system is set to be capable of firing payloads of up to 150kg into low Earth orbit (LEO).
到目前为止，在E-2的研发周期中，发射器发现3D打印其铜的零件是有益的，因为这释放了轻巧的机会，因此可以节省潜在的燃料。因此，该系统的许多组件都是通过该技术生产的，包括AMCM-3D printed combustion chamber据说这是世界上同类产品中最大的一部分。
Launcher has also deployed additive manufacturing alongsideVelo3DandAnsysto improve the performance of theE-2火箭发动机的涡轮机, by fitting it with an upgraded impeller and housings. Through this iterative development process, the company has managed to make significant progress with the E-2, and itachieved full-thrust in hot-fire testing截至2022年4月，进行了40秒。
以前获得了$1.5 million US Space Force contractin 2019, to support the engine’s ongoing development, Launcher has now gained further backing from the same source. Awarded in the form of a SBIR Phase 2B tactical funding increase, or ‘TACFI,’ the additional funding is expected to be used to carry out longer-duration testing on both the E-2’s turbopump and combustion chamber.
Ultimately, Haot says the war in Ukraine has “made it clear that launch vehicles and access to space is strategic,” and his firm hasn’t “seen any slowdown” in demand from goverments, thus he sees a strong market for the E-2 once it’s ready.
Priming the Terran 1 for launch
Not content with just 3D printing the engine of its Terran 1 rocket, Relativity Space has made the technology central to the launch vehicle’s production. Built using the automated, robotic arm-mountedStargate 3D printer, the Terran 1 is designed to carry heavier payloads of up to 1,250 kg into LEO, making it ideal for constellation launch and resupply missions.
The rocket’s additive manufactured parts, which are said to make up 85% of the total build, include its3D printed AEON engine, a system that thanks to consolidation unlocked via the Stargate, itself only features 100 components. Another impressive aspect of the Terran 1 lies in its14 foot-tall 3D printed fuel tank, a part that when created in 2017, was seen as a first step towards printing a full 90-foot rocket.
Since then, Relativity Space has gained significant backing to fund the Terran 1’s development, including the closure of a$650 million funding round去年，其总筹集到超过12亿美元。随着承包商越来越有信心火箭会按照预期的方式执行，公司也一直在awarded satellite launch deals，像Iridium CommunicationsandTelesat.
Likewise,Lockheed Martinchose Relativity Space to facilitate anupcoming cryogenic testing missionback in 2020, and the firm has gained a300万美元NASA启动合同as well, in which the Terran 1 is set to be used to fire several small satellites into orbit.
尽管火箭的首次亮相发布已从“ 2021年末”推迟到“ 2022年夏季”，但现在似乎已经准备好起飞了。尽管尚未揭示其处女航班的日期，但据了解，Terran 1是从Cape Canaveral的发射综合大楼16发射的，这将在没有客户有效载荷的情况下进行，因为它代表了首次尝试。
Meeting a sky-high demand for rockets
While the economic climate continues to prove challenging for big business, this doesn’t seem to have harmed demand for advanced rocket-related technologies, with rising global military tensions driving high government-level demand.Aerojet Rocketdyne’s3D printed scramjet engine, for instance, was recently deployed in a高超音速导弹试验， 通过开展US Department of Defense身体。
In more recent events,Ursa Majorhas unveiled plans to introduce its own3D printed rocket engine，能够取代俄罗斯制造的RD-180和RD-181，它们不再可用于美国航空航天公司。“ Arroway”将采用几个合并的3D印刷零件，并提供200,000磅的推力，预计将促进卫星发射以及美国国家重要性的任务。
Across the pond, in the UK,Orbex还公布了第一个全面的prototype of its Prime orbital space rocket. Built with the help ofSLM SolutionsandEOS公司AMCM, the 19-meter-long launch vehicle is understood to be fuelled by a renewable bio-propane, that produces 90% fewer emissions than kerosene-fuelled rockets.
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特色图像节目发射器进行了对NASA Stennis太空中心的3D印刷E-2火箭发动机进行热火测试。通过发射器/John Kraus摄影的照片。
