NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne recently finished testing a rocket engine injector made through additive manufacturing (AM), or 3-D printing.

This space technology demonstration may lead to more efficient manufacturing of rocket engines, saving American companies time and money. The tests were conducted at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

The series of tests demonstrated the ability to design, manufacture and test a critical rocket engine component using selective laser melting manufacturing technology — a method that employs high-powered laser beams to melt and fuse fine metallic powders into three dimensional structures.

Task lead Tyler Hickman, in red shirt, and technicians inspect the rocket injector assembly as it’s installed in the Rocket Combustion Laboratory at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Cleveland,  Image Credit: NASA Glenn Research Center

“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.”

This type of injector manufactured with traditional processes would take more than a year to make, but with these new processes it can be produced in less than four months, with a 70 percent reduction in cost.

Liquid oxygen/gaseous hydrogen rocket injector assembly built using additive manufacturing technology is hot-fire tested at NASA Glenn Research Center’s Rocket Combustion Laboratory in Cleveland
Image Credit: NASA Glenn Research Center

The 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.

Our appreciation to David E. Steitz and NASA for permission to publish news about this ground-breaking research in additive manufacturing.

David E. Steitz
Senior Public Affairs Officer
Office of Communications
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546
david.steitz@nasa.gov