L3Harris Technologies is using additive manufacturing to reduce satellite thruster production timelines, removing up to 12 months from a process that traditionally takes around 18 months.
Thrusters, critical for satellite maneuvering and positioning, have long been a bottleneck in production due to complex manufacturing requirements and long lead times. By adopting 3D printing, L3Harris can produce parts such as nozzles, manifolds, and combustion chambers more efficiently.
Instead of carving components from solid metal blocks, the process builds them layer by layer using powdered materials like niobium, reducing waste and allowing more complex designs.
Work is centered at the company’s facility in Daytona Beach, Florida, which expanded its capabilities following the 2019 acquisition of 3D Materials Technology.
“L3Harris-built thrusters with additively manufactured components are now flight proven on national security satellites, both experimental and operational,” said Kristin Houston, President of Space Propulsion and Power Systems at L3Harris.
Efforts to speed up production also include stockpiling commonly used components, allowing faster assembly across multiple satellite programs.
US Defense Boosts 3D Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing has expanded rapidly across US defense programs, with recent contracts focusing on scaling production and reducing supply chain delays.
This month, Stratasys joined a Pentagon pilot program to validate 3D-printed parts for operational military systems, part of a broader push to standardize and certify additively manufactured components.
Also this month, Velo3D secured a $9.8-million contract with the Defense Logistics Agency to accelerate production of parts for sustainment, targeting components affected by long lead times and supplier shortages.
Velo3D in February won a multi-year production contract supporting a “high-profile” national security program, using large-format metal 3D printing to manufacture critical components more quickly and at scale.
L3Harris Technologies also applied additive manufacturing to hypersonic propulsion systems, cutting component production time by up to 90 percent under a Pentagon-backed initiative.
