Sixty-five years after the first orbital satellite launched, more than 5,000 satellites are in service, with roughly half of them placed into low earth orbit over the past two years. Much but not all of this activity comes courtesy of entrepreneur Elon Musk, whose SpaceX-launched satellite internet constellation Starlink will soon account for at least half of the objects circling the planet.

Launcher’s original goal was to compete with Space-X in the satellite launching arena with its own rockets nearing completion, but when Musk’s company announced in early 2020 that it would begin selling payload space on its Falcon 9 rocket, Haot and the Launcher team realized they could make their satellite deployment system compatible with it and other launch platforms and decided to pivot and fast-track Orbiter development dedicating 80% of the organization’s manufacturing capability to the program.

“Seeing an opportunity to give our customers the best of both worlds, we brought Orbiter to the head of the line,” says Haot. “At the same time, we continue our work on the Launcher Light’s mechanical structures, the fairing, and, perhaps most importantly, the engine, all in preparation for its first commercial flight in 2024.”

In less than two years, Haot’s Launcher Light rocket is scheduled to independently boost its own Orbiter into space to launch satellites on its own. Launcher Light is a liquid-fueled rocket measuring 15.2 meters long and 1.1 in diameter that will carry 150 kg and 105 kg payloads into low earth or sun-synchronous orbits. A single E-2 engine will boost Launcher Light to low Earth orbit with 150 kg of payload. E-2 is a closed cycle 3D-printed, high-performance liquid rocket engine. The 3D printed design was developed to increase performance and reduce manufacturing costs.

Launcher already has been testing the engine at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, including a test in April where the engine generated its full thrust of about 22,000 pounds-force. The engine runs on liquid oxygen and RP-1 propellants.

Last week, Launcher announced that it won a $1.7 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to accelerate its work on the E-2.

Less Costly Launches

Launcher’s goal is to make satellite deployment both easier and more affordable. Between the SpaceX RideShare program and Launcher’s Orbiter transfer vehicle, the startup firm will soon be able to place payloads into customized orbits for a little more than $8,000 per kilogram.

“These ride shares occur every three months, but if SpaceX’s timing or trajectory does not meet our customers’ requirements, we’ll also have a premium launch service through our Launcher Light offering,” said Haot. “Either way, these services come at a price tag that’s unprecedented in the space industry.”

Haot and Launcher’s head of manufacturing, Tim Berry, is quick to point out that none of this would have been possible without 3D printed (or “additively manufactured”) metal components, the most challenging of which were produced on a Sapphire 3D printing system from Campbell, Calif.-based Velo3D.

“The Velo Sapphire with its ability to reliably print complex geometry made it very easy for us to pivot in the face of shifting priorities,” says Berry. “That’s a benefit of additive technology in general.”

Before joining Launcher, Berry worked at SpaceX for close to a decade leading the Falcon 9’s second stage integration team, followed by leadership roles on the Dragon’s crew and cargo capsules before transitioning to head of additive manufacturing. Today he oversees Launcher’s 24,000-square-foot factory floor and its team of machinists, welders, and technicians, as well as the company’s small fleet of metal 3D printers.

Launcher subcontracted most of its 3D printed part manufacturing to Velo3D’s network of contract manufacturers, but later integrated the system into their California facility for faster, more flexible, and above all, more cost-competitive manufacturing.

“As a modern space and rocket company, we have several important goals,” he said. “The first and most obvious one is for Orbiter to deliver the lowest cost in the industry for the highest propulsive capability. But to achieve that, it’s critical to have in-house design and manufacturing capabilities. Every time you buy a separation ring, propulsion system, or support structure from a third party, your costs and lead time easily rise by a factor of ten. So instead of the week or so it takes us to design an engine, print, and test it, we would spend maybe two or three months with an outside provider. It’s prohibitive.”

Berry pointed to the fuel tanks as one typical example. “Shop around for a space-graded tank able to withstand 3,000 psi of pressure and you’ll probably hear lead times of eight months to two years, especially if they’re custom,” he said. “That’s not an option in our environment, so as with many of our components, we took the approach of designing based on our available tools.”

The Orbiter’s 22-liter tanks exactly match the Sapphire 3D printer’s build volume. Launcher began by printing the parts out of Inconel, and although they performed quite well, Berry and the team started looking for ways to optimize the design. Moving to lighter-weight titanium was the obvious choice, he says.

Launcher purchased a second Velo3D Sapphire metal AM system in September, this time dedicated to titanium, so it could 3D print a lighter-weight fuel tank.

“That’s what brought us to our second machine from Velo3D,” he explained. “It can print the exact same tank but with less weight and higher pressure capabilities. We already thinned the walls a bit compared to the original design, but once we have the first few launches under our belt, we’ll probably reduce them even further as we continue to push the envelope.”

In addition to fuel tanks, Launcher 3D prints a range of components including brackets and other secondary structures, combustion chambers, injectors, and impellers.

The Launcher’s engine features a 3D printed Inconel impeller that spins at 30,000 rpm and can withstand more than 300 bar of outlet pressure.

In addition to Velo3D, Launcher partnered with AMCM to co-develop the M4K 3D printer, which makes it possible to print the E-2 combustion chamber in a single-piece copper alloy.  Together with Launcher, AMCM defined the requirements for the M4K, which is based on the reliable M400 platform from EOS.