Designed for use with a customizable launch vehicle, these 3D-printed rocket engines can be turned around in a few days.
Chennai-based Agnikul is looking to make it possible to offer rapid-turnaround on-demand space launches — by 3D printing custom rocket engines and other components in less than three days.
“We are building a launch vehicle that carries a payload capacity of 30 to 300 kilograms [around 66-660lbs], depending on the needs of the customers,” Agnikul’s chief operating officer Moin SPM tells IEEE Spectrum in an interview. “We are trying to provide a rapid, on-demand launch service by 3D-printing the entire rocket engine in one shot.”