Overview of Additive Manufacturing and Quality Assurance of Powders for Space Propulsive Components

Additive manufacturing techniques are modifying the space propulsion manufacturing panorama. These technologies, which are already implemented in manufacturing of aerospace components, are still to be further analyzed and a complete quality assurance program to be defined. In this article, a state of the art analysis of quality assurance for space propulsive applications is described. In particular, the focus is centered on material challenges associated to space propulsion: the research is oriented towards metal powders and samples implemented in selective laser melting/powder bed fusion technologies. In particular, a qualification process of the supply chain related to metal powders in space propulsion is reported. Furthermore, the application of this process to a case study material is detailed, and preliminary result data are considered. Finally, a review of the qualification process is performed and suggestions for future work on this topic are presented.