NASA Plans for 3-D Printing Rocket Engine Parts Could Boost Larger Manufacturing Trend [Video]

There is a lot riding on NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). Not only does the agency's first new heavy-lift booster since the Saturn 5 that took U.S. astronauts to the moon play a central role in the future of the American spaceflight, it also provides a critical test for technology expected to figure prominently in revamping the country's ailing manufacturing industry.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., is testing an approach called selective laser melting (SLM) to create parts for the J-2X and RS-25 rocket engines that will power the SLS, whose maiden voyage is slated for 2017 (pdf). The space agency expects SLM to simplify the process of making certain parts and in some cases halve the cost of producing them—a huge advantage for NASA, provided the components can withstand the rigors of lifting the largest launch vehicle ever built into space.