India space startup Agnikul Cosmos (Agnikul) has successfully test-fired two fully 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engines ahead of an upcoming orbital mission.
The company posted on X (formerly Twitter) a video of the 25-second test, which showed the engines being throttled across a range of thrusts by varying the speed of the electric motor, while a team of engineers looked on.
The company says this electric motor allows for higher accuracy and rapid response, which are two important features for handling complex trajectories. What makes this test firing special, however, is the use of metal additive manufacturing (AM) – a type of 3D printing that builds parts layer by layer.
“Along with the patented engine, many subsystems of the pump were also 3D-printed and assembled at our … Rocket Factory-1. The motor drives and associated control software were also fully designed and developed in-house,” stated the company.
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