NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, has pioneered additive manufacturing to create stronger, lighter rocket parts. Launched in 2020, the Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology, or RAMPT, project, led by co-principal investigator Paul Gradl, focuses on developing new alloys and manufacturing processes such as DED of large parts.

RAMPT has achieved significant milestones, including 12 hot-fire tests with 3D printed thrust chamber hardware and demonstrating 40% weight savings with composite materials. The project has conducted over 500 test firings, utilizing new alloys and large-scale additive manufacturing processes. A key achievement is the development of a full-scale version of the RS-25 engine, potentially reducing costs by up to 70%.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, has pioneered additive manufacturing to create stronger, lighter rocket parts. Launched in 2020, the Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology, or RAMPT, project, led by co-principal investigator Paul Gradl, focuses on developing new alloys and manufacturing processes such as DED of large parts.

RAMPT has achieved significant milestones, including 12 hot-fire tests with 3D printed thrust chamber hardware and demonstrating 40% weight savings with composite materials. The project has conducted over 500 test firings, utilizing new alloys and large-scale additive manufacturing processes. A key achievement is the development of a full-scale version of the RS-25 engine, potentially reducing costs by up to 70%.

“Our primary goal with these higher-performance alloys is to prove them in a rocket engine test-fire environment and then hand them off to enable commercial providers to build hardware, fly launch vehicles, and foster a thriving space infrastructure with real scientific, social, and economic rewards,” Gradl said.

The RAMPT project not only develops new technologies but also advances simulation tools to assess materials at a microstructural level. This approach significantly shortens the design-fail-fix cycle, enabling rapid prototyping and testing.

The RAMPT team received NASA’s 2024 Invention of The Year award for their contributions to deep space exploration. The project is supported by various NASA centers, academic partners, and industry contractors, funded by NASA’s Game Changing Development Program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate.

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