4 ms·
One cool part about this is that once they prove that current engine designs can be replicated using additive manufacturing, then totally new engine designs, di
by gjmulhol 11y ago
One cool part about this is that once they prove that current engine designs can be replicated using additive manufacturing, then totally new engine designs, different from anything possible with traditional manufacturing techniques, can be developed. It would likely mean higher thrust per unit fuel and generally more efficient systems.
- sandworm101 11y agoHigher thrust per unit fuel isn't limited by manufacturing technique. Per-unit cost isn't really a limiting factor for rocket engine development. These things cost tens of millions of dollars and they push things worth perhaps a billion. Governments have been throwing billions, defence billions, at the technology for over a half-century. The physics of ISP is well-understood and current engines are near what is physically possible, regardless of who/what builds the engines. 3d printing could certainly make engines more affordable and/or lighter, but it isn't going to allow an engine to be any more fuel efficient. Anyone who builds an engine with significantly increased ISP using standard fuels (ie without going nuclear) will probably win a few nobel prizes. 3d printing is about improved manufacturing, not new physics.