With 3D printing, L3Harris Technologies has succeeded in reducing the complexity of the copper thrust chamber for the RL10 rocket engine. This latest iteration of the engine, called the RL10E-1, achieves a 98% reduction in the number of parts in the thrust chamber without sacrifice in performance or reliability. The engine is expected to power a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket planned for launch in 2025.
Kristin Houston, President, Space Propulsion and Power Systems, Aerojet Rocketdyne, L3Harris, said, “The RL10 has been the nation's premier high-performance, upper-stage rocket engine for more than 60 years, propelling hundreds of military, civil, and commercial satellites into Earth's orbit and sending spacecraft to explore every planet in our solar system.”
Regarding the use of 3D printing, she added, “Incorporating 3D printing enables us to build an engine that maintains the performance and reliability our customers have come to expect, while significantly reducing cost and lead time to meet the demands of today’s marketplace.”
The RL10 engine (see image above), which is capable of multiple restarts in space, is capable of placing spacecraft into precise orbits or on interplanetary voyages. The RL10E-1 is the first of 116 engines that Harris will deliver under contract to ULA. Each Vulcan rocket upper stage requires two of the RL10E-1 engines with combined thrust of about 48,000 lbs.