Additive Manufacturing of Rocket Engine Components - from Rapid Prototyping to Flight Qualification

ArianeGroup is one of the pioneers of 3D printing and has been intensively developing additive manufacturing for the production of rocket engine components for over 15 years. With the first flight of Ariane 6 on July 9, 2024, some additively manufactured and qualified components flew with it and thus achieved a technological readiness level (TRL) of 9, i.e. the status “flight qualified”. 
One of the qualified components is the so-called Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), manufactured using laser beam melting of Hastelloy X, a nickel-based alloy with high heat resistance and good oxidation resistance. The APU, which contributes significantly to the versatility of the Ariane 6 upper stage, has successfully completed its qualification campaign after a total of 137,601 seconds of operation in more than 53 tests The APU is a technical all-rounder that allows the upper stage tanks to be pressurized, the Vinci engine to be reignited during flight and even to provide extra thrust in orbit if required. Due to the complex design of the APU heat exchanger, additive manufacturing was able to exploit its full potential here. The economic success in the development and qualification of rocket engine components for launch vehicles depends crucially on functional integration, a robust process chain and competitive costs, and my presentation will provide information on the opportunities, risks and challenges of industrialization.

Presentation language: GER