I've always wanted to try out the new 3D printers that are all the rage these days, but I would never have guessed that a Space company would, or could, print a working rocket.
On Wednesday night a Seattle company, Relativity Space, launched the first 3D-printed rocket, named "Terran 1", on a test mission from Cape Canaveral. The primary aim of the flight was to put a completely new launch vehicle through its paces, and place a small memento plaque into orbit.
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| Methane-tinged blue flames - Relativity Space / Michael Baylor © Provided by Geekwire |
The takeoff of the two-stage, 110-foot-tall Terran 1, was picture perfect, and unique in that the exhaust was bright blue owing from that fact that it used Methane as a propellent (another experimental design feature).
The rocket successfully reached Max-Q, a point where the stress on the rocket's superstructure is the greatest, thus demonstrating that 3D printed components hold up to the severe stresses of launch and boost against the force of Earth's gravity.
But an anomaly in the second stage engine prevented stage two's ignition and thus made orbital insertion impossible. Nonetheless, the rocket demonstrated a first for space vehicles and future attempts to reach orbit are just around the corner as the company plans additional flights and larger vehicles.
Full article (and video) at: GeekWire
