Case Studies Aerojet Rocketdyne’s 3D Printed Quad Thruster Enables Low-Cost Space Exploration

Edit This Case Study Record

	Aerojet Rocketdyne’s 3D Printed Quad Thruster Enables Low-Cost Space Exploration

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s 3D Printed Quad Thruster Enables Low-Cost Space Exploration

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Generative AI Other - Additive Manufacturing
Applicable Industries	Aerospace Automotive
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development
Use Cases	Manufacturing Process Simulation Rapid Prototyping
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	The engineering team at Aerojet Rocketdyne faced the challenge of redesigning legacy systems from the Apollo-era using modern propulsion, design, and manufacturing technologies. The goal was to drive down costs, speed up development time, improve performance, and make the production of over 600 thrusters economically sustainable for NASA’s Artemis program. The legacy Reaction Control System (RCS) consisted of four quad-thruster modules that controlled the spacecraft’s yaw, pitch, and roll. The initial design, 'Mark I,' was not optimized for weight, manufacturability, and cost, necessitating a more efficient solution. Read More
About Customer	Aerojet Rocketdyne is a world-class manufacturer of advanced energetic systems, playing a crucial role in the development of propulsion systems for NASA’s Artemis mission. The company is renowned for its expertise in creating high-performance propulsion systems for spacecraft and launch vehicles. With a history of involvement in significant space missions, Aerojet Rocketdyne is committed to leveraging modern technologies to enhance the performance and cost-effectiveness of its products. The company’s engineering team is focused on redesigning legacy systems to meet the demands of contemporary space exploration, particularly for the ambitious Artemis program, which aims to establish a permanent base camp on the moon and a station in lunar orbit. Read More
Solution	To address the challenges, Aerojet Rocketdyne engineers utilized additive manufacturing to optimize the RCS quad thruster. They consolidated the injector block into a single part, significantly reducing weight and production costs. For the second iteration, 'Mark II,' the team employed nTopology’s software to apply a lightweighting concept. They created a shell to remove unnecessary material and filled it with a lattice to ensure manufacturability and increase stiffness. This process, which was impossible with traditional CAD tools, took only a few hours in nTopology. The 'Mark II' injector block was manufactured in Titanium 6Al-4V, a material with half the density of Inconel 718 used in 'Mark I,' but more challenging to print. Velo3D’s system successfully produced the intricate geometry of the lattice and nozzle without failures, demonstrating the effectiveness of modern design and manufacturing technologies. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Generative AI

Other - Additive Manufacturing

Applicable Industries

Aerospace

Automotive

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Manufacturing Process Simulation

Rapid Prototyping

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

The engineering team at Aerojet Rocketdyne faced the challenge of redesigning legacy systems from the Apollo-era using modern propulsion, design, and manufacturing technologies. The goal was to drive down costs, speed up development time, improve performance, and make the production of over 600 thrusters economically sustainable for NASA’s Artemis program. The legacy Reaction Control System (RCS) consisted of four quad-thruster modules that controlled the spacecraft’s yaw, pitch, and roll. The initial design, 'Mark I,' was not optimized for weight, manufacturability, and cost, necessitating a more efficient solution.

About Customer

Aerojet Rocketdyne is a world-class manufacturer of advanced energetic systems, playing a crucial role in the development of propulsion systems for NASA’s Artemis mission. The company is renowned for its expertise in creating high-performance propulsion systems for spacecraft and launch vehicles. With a history of involvement in significant space missions, Aerojet Rocketdyne is committed to leveraging modern technologies to enhance the performance and cost-effectiveness of its products. The company’s engineering team is focused on redesigning legacy systems to meet the demands of contemporary space exploration, particularly for the ambitious Artemis program, which aims to establish a permanent base camp on the moon and a station in lunar orbit.

Solution

To address the challenges, Aerojet Rocketdyne engineers utilized additive manufacturing to optimize the RCS quad thruster. They consolidated the injector block into a single part, significantly reducing weight and production costs. For the second iteration, 'Mark II,' the team employed nTopology’s software to apply a lightweighting concept. They created a shell to remove unnecessary material and filled it with a lattice to ensure manufacturability and increase stiffness. This process, which was impossible with traditional CAD tools, took only a few hours in nTopology. The 'Mark II' injector block was manufactured in Titanium 6Al-4V, a material with half the density of Inconel 718 used in 'Mark I,' but more challenging to print. Velo3D’s system successfully produced the intricate geometry of the lattice and nozzle without failures, demonstrating the effectiveness of modern design and manufacturing technologies.

Impact #1	The use of additive manufacturing and nTopology’s software enabled Aerojet Rocketdyne to significantly reduce the weight of the RCS quad thruster, making it 67% lighter than the previous design.
Impact #2	The consolidation of the injector block into a single part streamlined the manufacturing process, reducing touch labor and quality assurance efforts.
Impact #3	The application of modern design and manufacturing technologies allowed for faster development times, enabling the team to iterate and optimize designs more efficiently.

Impact #1

The use of additive manufacturing and nTopology’s software enabled Aerojet Rocketdyne to significantly reduce the weight of the RCS quad thruster, making it 67% lighter than the previous design.

Impact #2

The consolidation of the injector block into a single part streamlined the manufacturing process, reducing touch labor and quality assurance efforts.

Impact #3

The application of modern design and manufacturing technologies allowed for faster development times, enabling the team to iterate and optimize designs more efficiently.

Benefit #1	The new space engine part is 67% lighter than the previous design.
Benefit #2	The overall production cost of the thruster was reduced by 66%.

Benefit #1

The new space engine part is 67% lighter than the previous design.

Benefit #2

The overall production cost of the thruster was reduced by 66%.

Download PDF Version

Overview

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s 3D Printed Quad Thruster Enables Low-Cost Space Exploration

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit