The new 3D printed, reusable rocket engine for
Rocket Lab’s Neutron launch vehicle begins an intensive test
campaign at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi in
preparation for Neutron’s first launch
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the
Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems,
today announced it has completed the first full assembly of its
Archimedes engine, the new 3D printed, reusable, rocket engine for
the Company’s Neutron medium lift launch vehicle. Rocket Lab has
now begun an intensive test campaign that will feature a number of
engine system activations leading up to a first Archimedes
hot-fire.
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Rocket Lab's reusable Archimedes engine
for its Neutron launch vehicle. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Archimedes test campaign will take place at Rocket Lab’s
dedicated engine test stand at America’s largest rocket propulsion
test site, NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. As an
oxidizer rich staged combustion cycle powered by liquid oxygen and
methane, Archimedes is a unique rocket engine of its thrust class,
engine cycle, and propellant combination. The engine is designed
for maximum reusability, with an operating point that allows the
engine to operate at a lower stress levels comparative to other
rocket engines on the market, and with a minimum reuse target of up
to 20 launches per engine. At full power, each Archimedes engine is
capable of producing 165,000 lbf (733 kilonewtons) for a combined
total of 1,450,000 million lbf on Neutron’s first stage. Critical
3D printed parts to undergo testing include Archimedes’ turbo pump
housings, pre-burner and main chamber components, valve housings,
and engine structural components.
Many component, subsystem, and all-up system tests will be
conducted throughout the test campaign. These tests will validate
Archimedes’ transient start-up, steady-state, and shut down
performance. The engine test and development campaign is a key
driver of the schedule for Neutron’s first launch, which the
Company today confirmed is now expected to take place no earlier
than mid-2025.
“Having a completed Archimedes engine on the test stand is an
inflection point in Neutron’s development program. Now we’ve
entered the home stretch where we breathe fire and refine the
engine in preparation for first flight,” said Rocket Lab founder
and CEO, Peter Beck. “Often with engine development plans there can
be a rush to get a minimum viable product to the stand, after which
you have to spend years in redesign and iterative testing to get
the performance you need, let alone being able to reproduce it
reliably on a large production scale. What we’ve taken to the test
stand is very close to a flight-like engine, and with all of our
production infrastructure stood up alongside the engine’s
development, we’re in a prime position to be able to make quick
iterations to Archimedes for a rapid development and qualification
campaign. We took the time to not only bring a mature design to the
stand that has been thoroughly tested at component level, but to
also stand up the experienced team, manufacturing line, and test
facilities required to support long term production of Archimedes.
This approach has ultimately pushed the first flight to mid-2025 at
the earliest, but it’s an approach we believe will deliver the
frequent flight rates the market needs quickly after flight one.
Designing a brand-new rocket engine to meet the market demand for
frequent and reliable launch is complex feat, but it’s something
we’ve successfully done before, having launched more than 470
Rutherford engines to space. We look forward to repeating this
success with Archimedes.”
Production of subsequent Archimedes engines is continuing in
parallel with the ongoing test campaign, with long-lead 3D printed
components already manufactured and undergoing checkouts and
analysis ahead of integration and engine full assembly at Rocket
Lab’s Engine Development Complex in Long Beach, California.
Additional recent milestones on the path to first Neutron launch
include the completion of carbon composite flight structures for
Neutron’s fairing panels, Stage 1 and Stage 2 tanks, and the
reusable Stage 1 structure. Infrastructure development is also
continuing at pace across Neutron’s dedicated launch site at
Wallops Island, Virginia, with completed foundation concrete works
for Neutron’s launch mount and propellant and gas storage
facilities, and installation of the site’s 278 ft water tower.
About the Archimedes engine
Archimedes is the 3D printed, reusable rocket engine designed
and manufactured by Rocket Lab to power the Company’s new Neutron
rocket. Capable of lifting up to 13,000kg, Archimedes is an
oxygen-rich staged combustion engine powered by liquid oxygen and
methane that is designed for rapid reusability. Neutron will
include nine Archimedes engines on its reusable first stage for a
total combined thrust of 1,450,000 lbf. The single vacuum-optimized
version of Archimedes on Neutron’s second stage shares all major
components with the first stage engine and is capable of up to
202,300 lbf (900kN). Both versions of Archimedes are designed for
multiple restarts, with the vacuum Archimedes designed to start up
to six times while in space to perform complex orbital maneuvers
for payload delivery in multiple orbits or more complex orbits.
Archimedes is intentionally designed to operate within
medium-range capability, a choice that lowers thermal and
operational strains across the engine to improve its life and
reliability, and meet the rapid reusability requirements of
Neutron.
Full-rate production of the Archimedes engines will take place
at Rocket Lab’s Engine Development Complex at its headquarters in
Long Beach, California.
+ About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with
an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable
launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and
on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more
affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach,
California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small
orbital launch vehicle, our family of spacecraft platforms, and the
Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for
constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January
2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second
most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered
180+ satellites to orbit for private and public sector
organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific
research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate
monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab spacecraft have been
selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as
the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three
launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a
private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third
launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit
www.rocketlabusa.com.
+ Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by
the safe harbor provisions for forward looking statements contained
in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in
this press release other than statements of historical fact,
including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and
space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and
repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational
expansion and business strategy are forward-looking statements. The
words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,”
“continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,”
“could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements,
though not all forward-looking statements use these words or
expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees,
but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or
achievements to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the
forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the
factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as such
factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on
the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section
of our website at www.rocketlabusa.com, which could cause our
actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the
forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such
forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of
the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim
any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views
to change.
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+ Rocket Lab Media Contact Murielle Baker
media@rocketlabusa.com
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