Rocket Lab managed to gain reputation and popularity in a relatively short time by focusing on frequently sending small satellites into space, but as they say, appetite grows with eating. The company reached orbit for the first time in 2018, and by 2021 it could boast of nearly a hundred units placed there, so now it’s time for something bigger. A rocket called Neutron, which is being developed for commercial, civil and military use.
Her immediate goal is to be delivering 13,000 to low Earth orbit kilograms of cargo, which may be possible as early as 2025. Neutron will be a medium-lift rocket with a reusable first stage – after launch and fulfilling its mission, it will land on the stage platform and can be reused. This is exactly what we saw recently with SpaceX and its tower “catching” Starship with metal arms.
Rocket Lab uses a 3D printer to build Neutron, which allows for a significant acceleration of the production process. The machine can travel 30 meters and lay continuous composite fiber at a speed of 100 meters per minute. According to estimates, the new technology will save over PLN 15,000. hours in the entire production processwhich means you can do so many layers in one day that would normally take weeks. The giant 3D printer is equipped with a real-time inspection system that monitors the production process and informs the operator about any defects.
Not only the Neutron rocket will benefit from this technology. Rocket Lab also plans to use the machine to produce the first stages of the Electron rocket and other space components such as structural panels, solar panel substrates and composite tanks. The growing popularity of 3D printing in the space industry aims to find more economical ways to deliver payloads to orbit and increase the reusability of launch vehicles.
Last year, Relativity Space attempted to launch Terran-1, a methane-fueled rocket that was expected to revolutionize the industry, but it failed to achieve full thrust. Rocket Lab also created the world’s first 3D printed rocket engine – Rutherfordwhich powers the Electron rocket. The company is slowly moving towards reusing its rockets, hoping to compete with industry giant SpaceX.
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Source: geekweek.interia.pl
