SpaceX via X
Raptor engine iterations side by side
SpaceX's latest iteration of its Raptor engine features a more streamlined, consolidated design, which could have been made possible with additive manufacturing.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk followed up a post on X, which shared how the latest Raptor engine iteration has undergone extensive part consolidation, with a claim that SpaceX is home to some of the world’s "most advanced 3D metal printing technology."
Per Musk’s initial post detailing its latest design benefits, the Raptor 3 SN1 has been simplified to include internalised secondary flow paths and regenerative cooling for exposed components. As a result, the Raptor 3 is said to eliminate the need for a heat shield, meaning it has been able to do away with additional mass and complexity, and its fire suppression system.
A side by side with previous Raptor 1 and 2 generations shows how the engine’s external parts have been integrated to form a much more simplified design. It is also said to be lighter than the Raptor 2 and provides higher thrust and efficiency.
Part consolidation, weight reduction and the ability to design complex internal structures that were previously impossible to make with other manufacturing methods, are some of the biggest benefits of 3D printing technologies. A further comment from Steve Jurgenson, an early VC investor in SpaceX, suggests that the latest Raptor has been made possible with AM, sharing that “Additive manufacturing internally integrates so many formerly discrete components.” While SpaceX hasn't provided any specifics about how AM may have been used to optimise the Raptor's design or internalise some of those components, Musk appeared to confirm the use of AM in a further comment, responding: “Indeed. It is not widely understood that SpaceX has the most advanced 3D metal printing technology in the world.”
The rapid rate of development in new space applications has turned the sector into a major adopter of metal AM technologies. Large-format, multi-laser technologies from the likes of AMCM have been deployed for the production of monolithic rocket thrust chamber assemblies, while ArianeGroup has been using metal AM for the production of heat exchangers for its Ariane 6 rocket launcher and components for communication satellites. Earlier this summer, Intuitive Machines' Odysseus landed on the moon supported by a 3D printed component by Sciaky in the upper section of its engine nozzle, and back in March Ursa Major successfully launched its Hadley engine, which can be built in a matter of days due to its reliance on AM.
