Metal 3D printing technology from Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) has played a key role in the development of Chinese aerospace firm Orienspace’s Gravity-1 Y-1 commercial carrier rocket.
Said to be the “world’s largest solid rocket,” Gravity-1 delivered the Yunyao-1 No. 18-20 satellites into orbit earlier this month.
The rocket, which boasts a carrying capacity of 4 tons/500km SSO (Sun-Synchronous Orbit), can carry more than twice that of China’s previous largest solid rockets, CAS Space’s Kinetica-1 and China Rocket’s Jielong-3.
Gravity-1 incorporated a range of components fabricated using BLT’s Laser Solid Forming (LSF) 3D printing technology. These large-scale, structural components reportedly featured complex geometries that are prone to deformation.
Traditional manufacturing methods would face high processing difficulty, long production cycles, and low material utilization when producing these parts. According to BLT, LSF technology overcomes these challenges, allowing the parts to be rapidly produced to a high standard.
Bright Laser Technologies headquarters. Photo via Bright Laser Technologies.
BLT technology enables Gravity-1 launch
Since its launch in 2011, BLT has grown a customer base of over 30 companies within the commercial aerospace industry, and has made notable progress in developing its Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), and LSF processes.
The firm has previously worked with commercial clients i-Space and LandSpace on the development and 3D printing of important aerospace components. The company displayed a 3D printed thrust chamber injector for i-Space’s JD-2 100-ton liquid oxygen methane engine at Formnext 2023.
The recent work with Orienspace saw the use of BLT’s LSF 3D printing technology to achieve near-net shaping of large-sized complex-shaped components.
During this project, BLT used multiple 3D printers working together to create more than 30 parts for the Orienspace Gravity-1 rocket. These components demonstrated a consistently high-quality performance and adhered to the strict prerequisites necessary for the rocket’s commercial deployment.
In fact, tests confirmed the 3D printed TC11 titanium alloy parts had reliable room temperature tensile mechanical properties. The parts exhibited a tensile strength of ≥1060 MPa and a yield strength of ≥885 MPa. These findings met the technical specifications required for the rocket, which was successfully launched into orbit on January 11.
According to BLT, its metal additive manufacturing technology reduced the production cycle and cost of the components, shortened development time, improved material utilization, and reduced manufacturing costs.
The company claims that, after the solidification process, the cost and production cycle of these aerospace parts “meet the demands for mass production.”
Metal 3D printing boosts space rocket production
The use of metal additive manufacturing is growing in the production of space rockets. Last year, NASA, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, successfully 3D printed and tested a rocket engine nozzle.
“Why did the 3D printer go to therapy? Because it had too many layers of unresolved issues!”
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