3 ms·

I know very little about rockets and 3D printing, so maybe someone can answer two things for me: 1. Does 3D printing make sense for large projects like rockets

I know very little about rockets and 3D printing, so maybe someone can answer two things for me: 1. Does 3D printing make sense for large projects like rockets, which will be used in extreme conditions? I thought it was more for prototypes. 2. How does this compare to SpaceX, which is attempting to reuse rockets? How important is this fixed cost if you use a rocket 100 times?

wavefunction 9y ago
SpaceX 3d prints SuperDraco[0] [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperDraco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperDraco
- toomuchtodo 9y ago
  There are some SpaceX alumni at Relativity.
  - maxander 9y ago
    I would speculate that their eventual end goal is to be bought out by either SpaceX or Blue Origin. A small space launch startup focusing on one technology isn’t going very far on its own, and few other companies would have an interest in their approach.
    - toomuchtodo 9y ago
      Another possible exit scenario is to be acquired by ULA or another cost plus contractor who is grasping at straws to become competitive against SpaceX's reusable vehicles.
tintor 9y ago
1. It matters a lot because you need to optimize the structure and engines for weight and 3D printing lets you make strong, and yet mostly hollow materials.
digikata 9y ago
I think the advantage it gives you is that you can optimize the mechanical structure of the rocket parts. I speculate that the disadvantage is that a many extreme environments also have hard requirements on the microscopic material structure of the components - and that will also have to be managed at the extruder/nozzle (as well as in the temperature and pressure environment afterward). Getting the materials properties right is much more finicky than the mechanical scale printing. And might change when you change the mechanical design (e.g. do you is there more material on some corner - then that might cool slower, which might give you a microscopic weakness around the corner...). I think you'll need world class materials modeling to do that right - and you'll have to do all sorts of validation that produced parts are ok. In comparison, the spaceX welding techniques have less to worry about - the weld itself as well as properties the change/arise around the weld - the rocket tube presumably already at it's designed material strength.

wavefunction 9y ago

SpaceX 3d prints SuperDraco[0] [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperDraco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperDraco

toomuchtodo 9y ago
There are some SpaceX alumni at Relativity.
- maxander 9y ago
  I would speculate that their eventual end goal is to be bought out by either SpaceX or Blue Origin. A small space launch startup focusing on one technology isn’t going very far on its own, and few other companies would have an interest in their approach.
  - toomuchtodo 9y ago
    Another possible exit scenario is to be acquired by ULA or another cost plus contractor who is grasping at straws to become competitive against SpaceX's reusable vehicles.

tintor 9y ago

1. It matters a lot because you need to optimize the structure and engines for weight and 3D printing lets you make strong, and yet mostly hollow materials.

digikata 9y ago

I think the advantage it gives you is that you can optimize the mechanical structure of the rocket parts. I speculate that the disadvantage is that a many extreme environments also have hard requirements on the microscopic material structure of the components - and that will also have to be managed at the extruder/nozzle (as well as in the temperature and pressure environment afterward). Getting the materials properties right is much more finicky than the mechanical scale printing. And might change when you change the mechanical design (e.g. do you is there more material on some corner - then that might cool slower, which might give you a microscopic weakness around the corner...). I think you'll need world class materials modeling to do that right - and you'll have to do all sorts of validation that produced parts are ok. In comparison, the spaceX welding techniques have less to worry about - the weld itself as well as properties the change/arise around the weld - the rocket tube presumably already at it's designed material strength.