Relativity Space Terran 1 launched 3D printing parts in rocket science

What is Glen Research Copper?

In the late 1980s, NASA was looking to develop a rocket engine that could withstand multiple firing in low-Earth orbit. Back then, even the main engine combustion chamber liners of the Space Shuttle were replaced after one to five missions. Instead, the space agency wanted a much more durable material to be developed and began the Game Changing Development Program.

NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland developed a family of copper-based alloys for this purpose, which became known as Glenn Research Copper or simply GRCop. Optimized for high strength, thermal conductivity, and low cycle fatigue, GRCop was made using copper, chromium, and niobium. The newly developed alloys could tolerate temperatures up to 40 percent higher than traditional alloys and had high creep resistance- the ability to handle more stress and strain at high temperatures.

Over the years, the alloys were further improved upon, and further applications were explored by David Ellis, who led their development in the 1980s. Under another recent program, the team of researchers created GRCop-42, which was found to pair well with additive manufacturing methods.

In one such method called laser powder diffusion, a 3D model is digitally sliced into thin layers, and then a powder bed machine spreads thin layers of GRCop and fuses them on top of each other to complete a part. The strength derived from such as manufacturing method is comparable to forged metal and can be used to make finely detailed parts such as nozzles and cooling channels for combustion chambers.

Another method called directed energy deposition (DED) uses a laser to create a melt pool on which powder is blown to create a solid material. The 3D motion of a robot controls the building process, which can make large shapes but without much detail.

The Relativity Space Terran 1 rocket was built using a combination of both these methods, thereby showcasing that the technology could be used for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Unfortunately, the rocket did not make it to orbit but made history, nevertheless.