ASA has created an aluminium rocket engine nozzle that can be 3D printed, paving the way for deep space exploration. The organisation claims that by making it possible to produce lightweight rocket components that can bear high structural stresses, this innovative alloy with reduced weight might be crucial in facilitating the transportation of more goods to deep space destinations.
A weldable form of aluminium that is sufficiently heat-resistant for use on rocket engines was developed by engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville in collaboration with Colorado-based Elementum 3D.
The goal of NASA’s Reactive Additive Manufacturing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (RAMFIRE) project is to develop lightweight, additively built aluminium rocket nozzles that remain sufficiently cold within to avoid melting.
The RAMFIRE nozzle is manufactured as a single component, needing substantially fewer bonds and a significantly shorter production time than a typical nozzle, which can contain up to a thousand separately linked elements.
“Industry partnerships with speciality manufacturing vendors aid in advancing the supply base and help make additive manufacturing more accessible for NASA missions and the broader commercial and aerospace industry,” averred Paul Gradl, RAMFIRE principal investigator at NASA Marshall.
Apart from the nozzle for a rocket engine, other sophisticated large components have been made for demonstration using the RAMFIRE aluminium material and additive manufacturing process. These include a vacuum-jacketed tank for cryogenic fluid applications and a 36-inch diameter aerospike nozzle with intricate integrated coolant channels.
