REACHING NEW HEIGHTS WITH ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: SPACEX x 3D PRINTING

Elon Musk isn’t just the man behind Tesla who bought Twitter and rebranded it to X. He’s also the Chief Designer, Founder, Chairman, CEO and CTO of SpaceX – or Space Exploration Technologies Corp, to give it its full name – which designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft.

Like most things Elon Musk does, SpaceX is pushing boundaries. Its goal is to revolutionise the aerospace industry and make affordable spaceflight a reality. And it’s using 3D printing to help get there. 

SpaceX uses 3D printing in its engineering and manufacturing processes, including rapid prototyping and 3D printed models to help understand complex engineering concepts. Reports also show SpaceX has 3D printed components for rocket engines, nozzles and structural parts for the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and Dragon spacecraft. 

In fact, it was way back in 2013 when SpaceX announced that the engine chamber of the SuperDraco thruster that powers the launch escape system on its Dragon spacecraft was manufactured using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) 3D printing. Dragon has since made 41 trips to the International Space Station, with capacity for seven people. 

And don’t expect the innovation to stop there. Elon Musk has gone on record praising the potential of additive manufacturing, suggesting that there are many more opportunities to be unlocked in aerospace from 3D printing. 

He said: “Through 3D printing, robust and high-performing engine parts can be created at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional manufacturing methods. SpaceX is pushing the boundaries of what additive manufacturing can do in the 21st century, ultimately making our vehicles more efficient, reliable, and robust than ever before.”

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