Whoa..

A GoPro camera feels the force of 20,000 pounds of thrust during a test of 3-D engine rocket components tested together.  For any space fan or if you just like to see cool things this video should impress.  NASA has had quite a year in 2015 and has done it again with their innovative work on new kinds of thrusters:

NASA’s been working on 3D-printing new rocket engines for years. In that time, a whole bunch of different pieces have been tested successfully, but NASA’s newest trial run has more of them working together than ever before. In a series of tests this past October, NASA’s prototype engine with 75 percent 3D-printed parts underwent a whole series of fire tests and passed with flying colors.

Here’s she is blasting out some 20,000 pounds of thrust:

There are a few benefits for them to 3D print parts in the future.  For one, the time to market is rapidly increased and there are fewer pieces to deal with.  This may make sense especially in future iterations of their thrusters such as the microwave and EM drive based technologies that they are working on.  Quick tests and iterations might be key if they want to deploy some of these ambitious projects.

“We manufactured and then tested about 75 percent of the parts needed to build a 3-D printed rocket engine,” said Elizabeth Robertson, the project manager for the additively manufactured demonstrator engine at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “By testing the turbopumps, injectors and valves together, we’ve shown that it would be possible to build a 3-D printed engine for multiple purposes such as landers, in-space propulsion or rocket engine upper stages.”

We’re looking forward to future tests on video check back soon!

thanks to popularmechanics.com for the great info

thanks to NASA for the great info