Ursa Main’s New 3D Printed Strong Rocket Motor Completes Profitable Flight Check

A protracted-range stable rocket motor (SRM) developed by rocket engine producer Ursa Main and Virginia-based Raytheon Applied sciences has accomplished profitable missile flight testing for the US Military. The motor has thus far been flown twice with Raytheon at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.  

Ursa Main’s Lynx 3D printing know-how was used to fabricate the SRM. This, together with Raytheon’s digital engineering capabilities, enabled the companions to speed up improvement instances and lower manufacturing prices. 

Daniel Jablonsky, Ursa Main’s CEO, defined that the agency has utilized additive manufacturing to realize “unprecedented timelines,” with practically 300 SRM static take a look at fires accomplished in 2024 alone. For this newest mission, the workforce went from idea and design to firing and flight in beneath 4 months, which Jablonsky referred to as “lightning quick.” He added that 3D printing has facilitated the manufacturing of “agile stable rocket motor options with the design flexibility wanted to develop the capabilities of the US navy.” 

Within the US, demand for SRMs is coupled with a scarcity of home suppliers. Provide chain challenges are impacting the US Division of Protection (DoD)’s efforts to restock inventories and help ongoing battle efforts in Ukraine and Israel. The Pentagon’s annual finances request for missile and munitions procurement, in addition to associated analysis and improvement, elevated from $9 billion in 2015 to $30.6 billion in 2024.

Jablonsky famous that Ursa Main’s know-how will scale SRM manufacturing “on the tempo and quantity the nation requires and at a value the nation can afford.” 

3D printed SRM completes profitable flight take a look at 

RTX Ventures, Raytheon’s enterprise capital division, first invested in Ursa Main in 2023 to develop its SRM manufacturing capabilities and tackle the US navy’s want for inexpensive precision-guided missiles.   

Ursa Main’s Lynx know-how combines metallic 3D printing with product-agnostic tooling to manufacture a number of SRMs concurrently in the identical manufacturing line. Typical SRM manufacturing processes are troublesome to re-tool, costly to ramp up, and depending on massive workforces. Lynx streamlines this course of, introducing versatile and scalable manufacturing capabilities that unlock higher-volume SRM manufacturing at a fraction of the value.   

Raytheon and Ursa Main declare that the additive manufacturing-based method will ship “a brand new era of sensible munitions” for the US Military. These new weapon methods will reportedly be considerably extra inexpensive than presently fielded, conventionally manufactured munitions. 

The profitable US Military take a look at demonstrates the long-range missile supply capabilities of the businesses’ 3D printed SRMs. Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Protection Techniques at Raytheon, said that these motors will enable the US and its allies “to strike farther and sooner than something our adversaries have of their arsenals.” He added that the SRMs present “inexpensive precision fires, whereas growing vary, security, and journal depth.”

Trying forward, the subsequent section of this system will see Ursa Main and Raytheon enhance the manufacturing course of, with an extra flight take a look at deliberate for 2025 and qualification in 2026.

In a separate mission, Ursa Main obtained $12.5 million from the US Navy and the Workplace of Strategic Capital (OSC) to scale the manufacturing of 3D printed SRMs. By means of the prototype mission settlement, the corporate is designing, manufacturing, and testing a brand new SRM prototype for crucial missiles. This adopted the information that the corporate is 3D printing the Navy’s Mk 104 twin rocket motor, which powers the SM-2, SM-3, and SM-6 missiles.  

3D printing missile methods 

Ursa Main and Raytheon will not be the one corporations 3D printing missile methods for the US DoD. Earlier this yr, Italian rocket and missile producer Avio introduced plans to triple its manufacturing of SRMs over the subsequent 4-5 years to handle rising US demand. 

Whereas the function of additive manufacturing on this initiative hasn’t been confirmed, the corporate actively makes use of 3D printing to supply propulsion methods. The agency possesses Velo3D Sapphire 3D printers to manufacture high-strength, corrosion, and temperature-resistance components in nickel-based alloy supplies. Avio beforehand partnered with Raytheon to construct a home industrial base for crucial SRMs. It’s now constructing a US-based manufacturing facility to strengthen provide chains and diversify sourcing choices.

Elsewhere, US Protection agency Lockheed Martin is 3D printing key parts of its new Mako hypersonic missile. Steel additive manufacturing know-how is getting used to manufacture the jet-fired missile’s steering part and fins, unlocking important time and value financial savings. The steering part is 3D printed ten instances sooner than standard strategies whereas being simply 1/tenth of the price.  

Work on Mako began in 2017, with the missile now at readiness stage six plus, that means it’s prepared for manufacturing. Weighing 1,300 kilos, it has been externally fit-checked on F-35, F/A-18, F-16, F-15, and P-8 plane, with inside fit-checking accomplished on the F-22 and F-35C fighters. Its stable rocket motor (SRM) can speed up Mako to Mach 5.

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All of the information from Formnext 2024. 

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Featured picture reveals an Ursa Main SRM being examined. Photograph through Ursa Main.