ISRO’s 3D rocket
ISRO Achieves Success with 3D-Printed Rocket Engine: 7 Key Points
India’s space agency, ISRO, celebrated another milestone on Friday, May 10, with the successful hot test of a liquid rocket engine produced through Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology, commonly known as 3D printing. Here are seven key points about this achievement:
- PS4 Engine: The engine tested by ISRO is part of the Reaction Control System (RCS) used in the upper stage (PS1) of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
- RCS Usage: ISRO stated that the same engine is also utilized in the Reaction Control System of the first stage (PS1) of the PSLV.
- Test Location: The hot test took place in Tamil Nadu at the ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri.
- Material and Time Savings: With this new technology, ISRO achieves a remarkable 97% reduction in raw materials and a 60% decrease in production time.
- Reduced Material Usage: Previously, 565 kg of forgings and sheets were required for conventional manufacturing, but now only 13.7 kg of metal powder is needed.
- Successful Test: ISRO conducted a hot test of the liquid rocket engine, lasting 665 seconds, on May 9.
- Design and Manufacturing Breakthrough: ISRO highlighted this achievement on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Design & Manufacturing Breakthrough: ISRO successfully conducts a long-duration test of the PS4 engine, re-designed for production using cutting-edge additive manufacturing techniques and crafted in the Indian industry.”
Additionally, ISRO noted that by using the Laser Powder Bed Fusion technique, the number of parts in the engine has been reduced from 14 to just 1, eliminating 19 weld joints and significantly reducing raw material usage.