Gilmour Space and Titomic to explore use of new 3D printed materials for launch vehicles

Gilmour Space Technologies, a leading venture-funded rocket company in Queensland, has signed a Statement of Strategic Intent with Titomic Limited (ASX: TTT), an industrial-scale additive manufacturing company in Victoria, to explore the use of new 3D printed materials for the production of high-performance rocket and space components.

“Gilmour Space is developing new launch vehicles to support today’s global small satellite market, and this partnership could see us leveraging on Titomic’s innovative manufacturing processes to produce lighter and stronger components for our orbital launch vehicles,” said the company’s co-founder and chief operating officer, James Gilmour.

“I am excited to get started on our joint tech-development program. Between the Gilmour Space focus on launch economics and the scale and quality performance of Titomic Kinetic Fusion capabilities, I am expecting significant implications for the launch vehicle community,” said Titomic’s chief technology officer, Nathanael Miller.

Indeed, additive manufacturing is fast becoming an enabling technology for many innovative space companies like Gilmour Space, which reportedly test-launched one of the world’s first rockets using 3D printed rocket fuel in 2016. The news also comes after an announcement by the federal government that Australia would be committing $150 million over five years to support the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)‘s missions to the moon and beyond.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with innovative companies like Titomic to help build a world-class space supply chain here in Australia, in line with the Australian Space Agency’s strategy and goals,” said Mr Gilmour.

“Gilmour Space and Titomic share a commercially strategic vision to deliver unique, advanced technologies which will ensure growth of the Australian space eco-system,” added Jeff Lang, managing director of Titomic. “Their plans for lower-cost access for launch satellites into space using affordable, high-performance rockets, combined with Titomic’s industrial scale additive manufacturing capability of super alloys from our Melbourne Bureau will help to realise this goal.”