Aerospace & Defense

Mjölnir refers to the hammer of the thunder god, Thor, in Norse mythology. The hammer is used as both a devastating weapon and as an instrument to deliver blessings. The Washington-based startup New Frontier Aerospace (NFA) gave its 3D printed…

3D printing in space is no longer a myth: it’s possible to design 3D parts in such a demanding environment, where gravity presents obvious constraints and obstacles. Numerous projects have demonstrated that it is possible to create a wide variety…

On June 23, the United Kingdom launched its Modern Industrial Strategy for 2025—a ten-year blueprint aimed at driving investment into the industries of the future. Designed to accelerate business growth and provide long-term stability, the strategy seeks to make it…

Yet again, additive manufacturing is poised to help rockets take flight. In this week’s 3DExpress, read about aerospace company INNOSPACE launching its new advanced manufacturing division, footwear company Koobz’s $7.2 million investment round, a partnership between ASTM International and Nikon…

For critical military applications, metal additive manufacturing has been questioned for concerns over porosity, mechanical reliability and reproducability. However, those issues have proved to be addressable, and defense organizations from around the world have gone on to adopt the technology.…

It’s hard to ignore additive manufacturing when it comes to aerospace and space conquest. It would seem that the technology has become an essential means of designing more efficient parts and tools, rather like artificial intelligence. This is the context…

Last week, we explored how the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing, and the momentum is not slowing down. On June 4th, the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) announced a $6.3 million grant from…

Aerospace is among the industries with the most stringent safety and quality standards. Aircraft and rocket components are subject to the strictest regulations and must undergo continuous inspections—both before deployment and during operation. However, precision alone is not enough in…

Yesterday, we covered the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s investment of over $10 million to predict the lifespan of 3D printed parts, and today, we have another defense headline: Velo3D is partnering with the U.S. Navy. Velo3D is a…

Last week, Texas A&M University announced that a team of its faculty members will receive a $1.6 million grant to develop a system for accelerating the process that determines the quality and lifespan of 3D printed components used by the…

Today, space freight transport – the transfer of goods from one point to another in space – is mainly handled by the American SpaceX and its Dragon capsule. But a Franco-German company based in Munich intends to upset this balance.…

SpaceX, NASA, ESA, Relativity Space, Blue Origin…what do these all have in common? Why they are all using additive manufacturing in the use of space exploration. And while you may notice that that that list includes many examples from Europe…