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NASA's 3D-printed rocket part handles 20,000 pounds of thrust in test (video)
NASA's really into 3D printing, but its latest project goes far beyond pizza. The space agency has manufactured its largest rocket part ever, an injector plate, which successfully helped produce around 20,000 pounds of thrust on a test bed. They modified the design of an existing machined injector in order to create a 3D printed version using two parts instead of 115 -- which NASA said performed "flawlessly" in tests. Such parts could one day reduce rocket costs while potentially increasing safety, since they're less-complex and have fewer points of failure. NASA will ramp up the thrust on subsequent tests, but meanwhile, if you don't want to see a rocket motor firing with 10 tons of thrust, don't head after the jump.
