The HyEnD student space team at the University of Stuttgart is making extensive use of 3D printing to develop its BLAST launch vehicle. The aim of the project is to achieve new altitude records in the field of liquid-fueled, student-built rockets. The rocket measures around six meters in length with a diameter of 300 millimeters. The focus is on in-house production, cost efficiency and high adaptability in the development of complex subsystems.
Additive manufacturing has already played a key role in previous projects such as the N2ORTH hybrid rocket, which was launched to an altitude of 64.4 kilometers in 2023 as part of the DLR STERN II program. For the current project, the team is using an X1 Carbon FDM printer from Bambu Lab to produce prototypes, fixtures and functional components quickly and in a material-saving manner. “We really use 3D printing a lot, and our progress would not be possible without it”, said Ben Oker, Propulsion and Aerothermodynamics Engineer at HyEnD.
The areas of application extend across all subsystems. In the propulsion system, for example, nozzle parts and sensor mounts are tested in plastic before critical components are manufactured in metal. The team uses soluble PVA cores and PLA molds for the production of carbon fiber structures. Temperature- and weather-resistant materials such as ASA and PETG are also used for the support systems on the ground – such as brackets and housings for test benches.
Additive manufacturing enables rapid design changes and repeated fit checks without tying up expensive CNC resources. In addition, tools and clamping fixtures are printed directly in the company’s own laboratory. This flexibility allows HyEnD to effectively shorten iterative development cycles and realize complex system architectures on a limited budget.
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