Case Study: Triton Space Technologies achieves rapid, high-precision 3D-printed rocket engine prototypes for a lunar mission with MakerBot METHOD X

Landing on the Moon With the Help of 3d Printed Rocket Engines

Triton Space Technologies, a Boston-based engineering and manufacturing firm specializing in rocket propulsion, needed to produce highly complex, tightly toleranced valve and injector prototypes for a 2021 lunar mission. Traditional in-house machining took 2–3 days per prototype and created significant waste, while outsourcing to service bureaus could take up to a week and sometimes yielded unusable parts. To overcome these challenges they turned to the MakerBot METHOD X 3D Printer to build functional, high-precision prototypes quickly.

Using the MakerBot METHOD X with Stratasys SR-20 soluble supports and engineering-grade ABS, Triton printed complex geometries (including sliding internal surfaces) in-house, eliminating the need for costly assemblies and extensive finishing. The METHOD X enabled reliable, repeatable parts that met tight tolerances, sped design iteration compared with 2–3 day machining or week-long outsourcing, reduced material waste, and helped Triton validate designs earlier in the development cycle.

Triton Space Technologies

Luke Colby

President