Californian company Aerojet Rocketdyne has announced successful hot-fire testing of its 3D printed thrust chamber for the RL-10 rocket engine. The component was 3D printed in copper using selective laser melting (SLM) and underwent full-scale testing at the company’s West Palm Beach, Florida, facility.
According to Aerojet Rocketdyne Additive Manufacturing Program Manager Jeff Haynes, the success is “truly transformative as it opens up new design possibilities and paves the way for a new generation of low-cost rocket engines.”