Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
    • F-L
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
    • M-S
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
    • T-Z
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    • March 2025
    • Dec 2024/Jan 2025
    • Showcase 2025
    • September 2024
    • June 2024
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Press Releases
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Subscribe to magazine Subscribe to email newsletter Media Pack
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    1. March 2025
    2. Dec 2024/Jan 2025
    3. Showcase 2025
    4. September 2024
    5. June 2024
    6. March 2024
    7. Archive Issues
    8. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    19th March 2025

    In this issue: March 2025

    Online Magazines By Ben Sampson
    Recent

    In this issue: March 2025

    19th March 2025
    contents and front cover of magazine

    In this issue: December / January 2025

    19th December 2024
    Showcase 2025

    In this issue – Showcase 2025

    6th November 2024
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Press Releases
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
Materials Testing Space

Hot-fire tests show 3D-printed component’s viability in NASA launch system

Ben SampsonBy Ben Sampson20th December 20173 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
engine test

Aerojet Rocketdyne and NASA have completed hot-fire testing of an RS-25 rocket engine containing its largest additively manufactured component to date.

It is hoped that the use of additive manufacturing will help lower the cost of future missions of NASA’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket.

Eileen Drake, CEO and president of Aerojet Rocketdyne, said, “This test demonstrates the viability of using additive manufacturing to produce even the most complex components in one of the world’s most reliable rocket engines. We expect this technology to dramatically lower the cost of access to space.”

During the 400-second test at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, Aerojet Rocketdyne engineers were able to evaluate the performance of a 3D printed vibration dampening device, known as a pogo accumulator assembly, which was manufactured at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s facility in Los Angeles, California.

The pogo accumulator assembly is a complex piece of hardware that acts as a shock absorber to dampen oscillations caused by propellants as they flow between the vehicle and the engine. The pogo accumulator assembly is important to ensuring a safe flight by stabilizing these potential oscillations.

The pogo accumulator assembly consists of two components: the pogo accumulator and pogo-z baffle. Both were made using a 3-D printing technique called selective laser melting, which uses lasers to fuse metal powder into a pattern by adding layer upon layer of material to produce the part. On the pogo accumulator alone, the new manufacturing technique reduced the number of welds by 78%.

The SLS is designed to send astronauts and cargo to explore the moon and other deep space destinations. It uses four Aerojet Rocketdyne-built RS-25 engines.

Additive manufacturing (3-D printing) could potentially simplify the production of many of the RS-25’s thousands of parts and components, reducing costs and increasing reliability by cutting back on the number of pieces that must be welded together. Its use also offers opportunities to shorten development timelines for components and enables enhanced flexibility in the designs.

The new 3D-printed components were installed and tested on a development engine which earlier this year was also used to test new flight controllers for the Exploration Mission-1 flight engines.

Dan Adamski, RS-25 program director at Aerojet Rocketdyne, said, “As Aerojet Rocketdyne begins to build new RS-25 engines beyond its current inventory of 16 heritage shuttle engines, future RS-25 engines will feature dozens of additively-manufactured components.

“One of the primary goals of the RS-25 program is to lower the overall cost of the engine while maintaining its reliability and safety margins. Additive manufacturing is essential to achieving that goal.”

December 20, 2017

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleIn this Issue – SHOWCASE 2018
Next Article First production Pipistrel electric aircraft takes flight in Australia
Ben Sampson

Ben has worked as a journalist and editor, covering technology, engineering and industry for the last 20 years. Initially writing about subjects from nuclear submarines to autonomous cars to future design and manufacturing technologies, he was editor of a leading UK-based engineering magazine before becoming editor of Aerospace Testing in 2017.

Related Posts

News

Astrolight raises €2.8m to build optical space communications network

22nd May 20253 Mins Read
Materials Testing

Glasgow NextSpace facility to test 3D printed space materials

14th May 20253 Mins Read
Materials Testing

Self-healing polymer developed for spacecraft protection

6th May 20254 Mins Read
Latest Posts

dSPACE expands Scalexio platform for HIL testing

23rd May 2025

AIR cargo eVTOL completes night flight testing

22nd May 2025

Astrolight raises €2.8m to build optical space communications network

22nd May 2025
Supplier Spotlights
Our Social Channels
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
Getting in Touch
  • Subscribe To Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Meet the Team
  • Media Pack
Related Topics
  • Aircraft Interiors
  • Business Jet Interiors
FREE WEEKLY NEWS EMAIL!

Get the 'best of the week' from this website direct to your inbox every Wednesday

© 2023 Mark Allen Group Ltd | All Rights Reserved
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.