Relativity hiring 190 people as it prepares to use 3D printing to make rockets (Mississippi)

WLOX-TV ^ | September 9, 2019 | Desirae Duncan

[2ndDivisionVet]

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - Hancock County is soon to be home to a 3D printing rocket factory. In just a few years, the rocket company Relativity says it plans to have its manufacturing operations up and running at Stennis Space Center. The company is now hiring to find the right men and women to make it all a reality.

As the future of aerospace continues to lift off in Hancock County, David Sykes and Jon Oliver say they are excited to be a part of it. Both men have returned home to Mississippi to work for Relativity Space, a company that builds and tests rockets.

The California-based company has signed a nine-year lease to take over Building 1901, which was once the home of the Army Ammo plant at Stennis Space Center.

“To be able to come back home to South Mississippi and be able to work on some revolutionary and game-changing ideas in the aerospace industry was pretty amazing," said Oliver.

[2ndDivisionVet]

It's not rocket science … wait, yes it is!

[Vince Ferrer]

Lots of people keeping an eye on this company. They created one of the biggest 3D metal printers yet.

[Getready]

Automated extrusion...of space occupying material...
.
Gone beyond “printing”

[null and void]

3-D Printer Ping!

[amorphous]

Whoa! Rocket nozzles have to handle mucho pressure at extreme temps. That should pretty much settle the debate concerning the viability of 3D printing technology.

Thanks posting and pinging guys!

Lately, I've been doing quite a bit of 3D printing myself. Still looking to upgrade to a printer that will handle materials with a melting point over 275C, soon hopefully.

[roadcat]

I wonder, have any astronauts done 3D printing in Outer Space? It just seems to be a good fit, printing objects with minimal effects of gravity, reducing or eliminating the need for support structures.

This would reduce the need for sending finished objects into space. All they would need is abundant supplies of materials to feed the printer engine (and spare parts for the 3D printer). Broken rocket nozzle? Astronauts could print a replacement while in space.

[Ellendra]

I wonder, have any astronauts done 3D printing in Outer Space?

Yes, they have. As I recall, the first item they printed was a wrench.

[roadcat]

Yes, they have. As I recall, the first item they printed was a wrench.

Excellent! I can imagine the frustration of astronauts if they are missing a particular tool they require. (I've seen news reports of astronauts accidentally losing items during spacewalks.)

That gives me an incentive to print some wrenches. I've printed numerous objects for my hobbies and workshop. Some wrenches would be useful for my granddaughters in working on their Erector construction set builds (light-duty use, will use nylon for durability).

[elbook]

Ceramic rocket motors (I heard about these 20 years ago) ??

3D printing techniques to build up clay slip into the intricate shapes? or lost wax plastic to cast the pump turbines (and such) mechanism (now at quite high tolerances ...)