Photo credit: Relativity SpaceA new space race is in the works, thanks to 3-D printing. Instead, today’s competitors are aerospace startups like Rocket Lab and Relativity Space that are trying to launch satellites into orbit. “The biggest barriers to space right now are frequency and cost,” explains Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, the Huntington Beach-headquartered rocket maker striving to improve access to commercial space flight. With its launch calendar filling up, Rocket Lab is relying on 3-D printing to make sure its model of engine production is scalable. “With 3-D printing, Rocket Lab can produce an engine in days, not the months required of traditional engine manufacturing techniques,” says Beck.

Source: Forbes May 16, 2018 20:15 UTC