Aerospace Technology 3D Printing

By the end of September 2014, NASA is expected to complete the first imaging telescope, with all components manufactured using 3D printing technology. As a result, NASA became the first unit to attempt to manufacture an entire instrument using 3D printing technology.
This space telescope is fully functional, with a 50.8mm camera that allows it to be placed into a CubeSat (a microsatellite). It is understood that the outer tube, outer baffle, and optical frame of this space telescope are all directly printed as separate structures, with only the mirror surface and lens not yet implemented. The instrument will undergo vibration and thermal vacuum testing in 2015.
This 50.8mm long telescope will be entirely made of aluminum and titanium, and only four parts need to be manufactured using 3D printing technology. Compared to traditional manufacturing methods, the number of parts required is 5-10 times that of 3D printing. In addition, in 3D printed telescopes, the instrument baffle used to reduce stray light in the telescope can be made into an angled style, which traditional manufacturing methods cannot achieve in a single component. [21]
On August 31, 2014, NASA engineers just completed the testing of a 3D printed rocket injector. This study aims to improve the performance of a certain component of the rocket engine. Due to the mixing reaction of liquid oxygen and gaseous hydrogen in the injector, the combustion temperature here can reach 6000 degrees Fahrenheit, about 3315 degrees Celsius, and can generate 20000 pounds of thrust, about 9 tons, Verified the feasibility of 3D printing technology in rocket engine manufacturing. This testing work is located at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where there are relatively complete rocket engine testing conditions, and engineers can verify the performance of 3D printed components in ignition environments. [22]
The manufacturing of rocket engine injectors requires high-precision processing technology. If 3D printing technology is used, the complexity of manufacturing can be reduced, and a three-dimensional image of the injector can be established in a computer. The printed materials are metal powder and laser. At higher temperatures, the metal powder can be reshaped to the shape we need. The injector in the rocket engine contains dozens of injection components, and building similar sized components requires certain machining accuracy. After successful testing, this technology will be used to manufacture the RS-25 engine, which will serve as the main power for NASA's future space launch system. The rocket can carry astronauts beyond low Earth orbit and into deeper space. Chris, the director of the engineering department at the Marshall Center, believes that the application of 3D printing technology on rocket engine injectors is only the first step. Our goal is to test how 3D printing components can completely change the design and manufacturing of rockets, improve system performance, and more importantly, save time and cost, making it less prone to malfunctions. In this test, two rocket injectors were ignited for 5 seconds each time, and the designer created a complex geometric fluid model that allowed for a thorough mixing of oxygen and hydrogen at a pressure of 1400 pounds per square inch.