MIT was able to test the rocket motor twice despite it being designed for a single use. Image credit: MITMIT was able to test the rocket motor twice despite it being designed for a single use. Image credit: MIT

Engineers from MIT’s Rocket Team have successfully fired a rocket motor that was made 100 percent from 3-D printed plastic.

MIT says this is the first time anyone has tested a 3-D printed, plastic-based rocket motor. In the first test, the team used less energetic propellant to start with and the rocket motor achieved supersonic flow and produced thrust. The case survived the test with only a few millimeters of plastic erosion from the throat of the case.

Because the case survived in enough decent shape, the team decided to fire it again, despite it being designed for a single use. In the second test, engineers used more energetic propellant and, because of the wear from the first test, it quickly eroded and the throat became too large to maintain supersonic flow. The combustion became unstable and little thrust was produced.

Future designs of the motor will account for the rapid deterioration of the throat by varying the propellant regression rate to match the nozzle erosion, MIT says. The MIT rocket case has been designed to work with modern composite propellants as well.

The rocket motor was designed with the help from 3-D printer Markforged that helped to print the pieces necessary to build the device.

Future plans for testing involve exploring the use of larger motors, more resilient motors and potentially testing the motors in actual aerospace vessels.

Learn more about MIT’s Rocket Team by visiting: http://rocketry.mit.edu/

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