Latest news with #Bumi&Space
The National
06-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Dubai company builds 3D-printed rocket engines as big as Elon Musk's
An AI engineering company in Dubai is scaling up its 3D-printed rocket engines to match the size of Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship Raptors, which could redefine how next-generation space hardware is built. Leap 71, which uses AI algorithms to design complex propulsion systems, is moving from small test engines to models powerful enough for full-scale orbital launches. With major advances in metal 3D printing, the company says it can now produce engines nearly two metres across, sizes that were previously too large for 3D printers to handle. 'Our customers want to fly to space with our engines, so now we are scaling them massively,' Lin Kayser, co-founder of the company, told The National. Unlike traditional aerospace companies that rely on teams of engineers to manually design rocket components, Leap 71 uses a computer system powered by AI to generate engine designs. The AI model, called Noyron, involves an algorithm that can generate rocket engines, including software codes that command the engine how much thrust and propellant it needs to have. Once the AI generates a design, it can be fed directly into a 3D printer to create the hardware. 'After an initial test last year, we test-fired eight more rocket engines, all of them different and designed by our computational system,' said Mr Kayser. Until now, Leap 71's engines have been relatively small, at about 30cm in diameter, making them useful for spacecraft like lunar landing vehicles. But to move into orbital launches, Mr Kayser said the engines needed to be much bigger. The company is now developing engines that require industrial 3D printers with build volumes close to two metres. Such printers, which use metal powder to build parts layer by layer, have become available only in the past 18 months, driven mostly by rapid progress in China. 'There's a number of 3D-printer manufacturers that can now support these extremely large-build volumes, which is really difficult because it's tonnes of metal powder that go in into these things,' said Mr Kayser. The company's newer designs include meganewton-class engines, those capable of producing thrust in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 kilonewtons, putting them in the same category as some of the world's most powerful rocket engines. But those engines would still have to be test-fired to ensure they work as expected. A key hurdle for Leap 71 is a lack of test stands, specialised sites where rocket engines are fired, in the country. These are essential but difficult to build due to safety, noise and regulatory requirements. Leap 71 hopes to set up its first rocket engine factory in the UAE, where it can take advantage of the country's growing ambitions in space. Sahith Reddy Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of advisory firm Bumi & Space, told The National that Leap 71's work could be a game-changer. 'What Leap 71 is doing represents a promising step towards redefining how we approach rocket engine development,' he said. 'This method could democratise access to advanced propulsion technologies, lowering barriers for smaller players by reducing the need for large in-house engineering teams and long development cycles. That said, widespread adoption will depend on how these designs perform under real-world conditions and whether they can meet the rigorous reliability standards of spaceflight.' Leap 71's current business model is built around supplying what it calls 'reference engines', which are functional, baseline models that space companies can adapt to their own needs. It hopes to eventually carve out a niche supplying engines that can power everything from small orbital rockets to larger reusable systems. The company's AI-led method can dramatically shorten development times and lower costs, which could be especially appealing to smaller or newer players in the space sector. It already has a partnership with The Exploration Company, a European firm which is developing and manufacturing a reusable space capsule called Nyx. The collaboration would integrate Leap 71's AI-designed engines into future missions.
The National
04-03-2025
- Business
- The National
Pakistan astronaut deal solidifies China as Nasa's key space rival
China is expanding its space diplomacy by offering emerging nations an alternative to western-led programmes such as Nasa's, with Pakistan the latest country to sign up. An agreement between Beijing and Islamabad was signed on Friday to train and send a Pakistani astronaut to China's Tiangong space station, which has been up and running since 2022. China has opened its space programme to other nations, such as Saudi Arabia, Brazil and several African countries, offering to launch satellites and collaborate on lunar mission. Sahith Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of the advisory firm Bumi & Space, told The National China's deal with Pakistan is a 'strategic power play' to expand its influence. 'By helping Pakistan with satellites, lunar missions and astronaut training for the Tiangong space station, China is signalling to emerging space nations: 'Why wait in line at Nasa when you can ride with us?'' he said. 'Unlike western agencies, which come with a fair share of regulations and geopolitical strings attached, China offers a more flexible and budget-friendly route – think of it as the low-cost carrier of space partnerships, minus the hidden fees – or so it seems.' As part of the agreement, five Pakistani candidates from the public and the military will be selected, who will be trained in China, the state news agency Xinhua reports. After physical fitness and mental tolerance tests, one will be chosen to eventually fly with Chinese astronauts to Tiangong. A timetable has not yet been revealed. Muhammad Yousuf Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, said China was achieving its space goals 'very quickly' and that Tiangong was the 'equal' of the International Space Station. 'Our astronaut will be in space and he will perform the experiments during his flight and his stay in Tiangong, it will be broadcasted in Pakistan to motivate our young engineers, scientists and young generation," he told Xinhua. Gaining access to the ISS is challenging for emerging space nations because of geopolitical restrictions, high costs and the dominance of Nasa and its western partners in determining participation. Countries without agreements with the US-led ISS programme face bureaucratic hurdles, limited access to technology and long approval times, making China a more accessible space partner. 'For emerging space nations, this deal is tempting – affordable launches, full-package solutions and none of the bureaucratic headaches that often come with western partnerships,' said Mr Madara. 'But there's always 'fine print'. While China provides the rocket ride, the technology transfer is often limited, meaning some nations could find themselves reliant on Chinese systems rather than developing their own. Plus, aligning too closely with China might not sit well with western allies, leading to awkward geopolitical dinner conversations.' US companies and federal agencies, including Nasa, are not allowed to collaborate with China due to the Wolf Amendment, a law passed by Congress in 2011 to allay concerns about technology transfer and national security. Saudi Arabia is another nation to have worked with China, specifically on its Chang'e-4 lunar mission, which took place in 2018-19 and led to the first landing on the far side of the Moon. As part of the mission, the kingdom provided an optical camera for a small satellite deployed by Chang'e-4, which is still orbiting the Moon today. In South America, Brazil co-developed the CBERS satellite programme for Earth observation, with China, while countries such as Venezuela and Bolivia have relied on China for satellite launches. In Africa, China has launched satellites for Nigeria, Algeria, Sudan and Egypt, helping them develop space capabilities in communications, weather forecasting and resource monitoring. It comes as China and the US appear to be locked in a modern space race, with each looking to establish their dominance in exploration and technology. A key goal for both is landing astronauts on the Moon. Nasa's Artemis programme aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2027, marking the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. China, with its Chang'e missions, also has plans to send astronauts to the Moon before the end of the decade. Washington is stepping up collaborations with its own allies through the Artemis Accords – a US-led international agreement that outlines responsible lunar exploration that already has more than 50 nation signatories. With the ISS set to be retired in 2030, Nasa is shifting its focus on building a station called Gateway in the lunar orbit, in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, the European Space Agency, Canada and Japan. However, it still wants access to low-Earth orbit and has launched a programme to fund US companies developing private stations. Jeffrey Manber, president of International Space Stations at Voyager Space – a company building the Starlab station – said the country is seeking a strategic shift to commercial space stations, ensuring a continuing human presence in orbit. 'Speaking from the West here, there is no way the United States is going to surrender low-Earth orbit to China – full stop,' he told The National in an earlier interview. 'There is no way, not even in the prior administration, not in the Trump era. So Tiangong is an excellent station. It's up there 24/7, fully crewed, and we will do the same.'
