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On May 2, 2026, Pittsburgh-based space robotics and lunar logistics company Astrobotic completed hot-fire testing of its “Chakram” rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE), with additive manufacturing technology playing a key role in this milestone achievement.

Two prototype engines successfully completed eight test runs at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, accumulating more than 470 seconds of runtime, including a single continuous burn lasting 300 seconds — believed to be the longest continuous burn ever achieved by a rotating detonation rocket engine.

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PermiAM: The Additive Manufacturing Technology Behind Chakram

At the core of the Chakram project is PermiAM, a patented metal additive manufacturing technology jointly developed by Astrobotic and Elementum 3D. The process enables precise control over internal porosity within 3D-printed metal components.

Accurate porosity control directly affects thermal management, combustion stability, and propulsion efficiency — three of the most difficult engineering challenges in RDRE design. A NASA SBIR contract supporting the program specifically focused on new injector designs and the application of PermiAM in RDRE components, making additive manufacturing not just a supporting contributor, but a foundational technology.

The results validated this approach. Each prototype generated more than 4,000 pounds of thrust, placing Chakram among the most powerful RDREs ever demonstrated. Nearly all hot-fire tests achieved thermal steady state, indicating stable and sustained engine operation.

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What Makes RDREs Unique

Unlike conventional rocket engines that rely on continuous steady combustion of propellants, rotating detonation rocket engines use supersonic detonation waves traveling around an annular combustion chamber. This process extracts more usable energy from the same fuel supply, potentially increasing specific impulse by up to 15%, while also improving thrust-to-weight ratio and reducing engine size and mass.

The major challenge has always been maintaining stable control of the detonation waves long enough for practical use — precisely what the Chakram test campaign demonstrated.

Bryant Avalos, principal investigator for Astrobotic’s Chakram project, stated:

“The Chakram engine performed beyond our expectations. With any cutting-edge technology like RDREs, there are always unknowns throughout the design and testing process that could critically impact performance. But this engine exceeded expectations. The 300-second burn was the icing on the cake. Demonstrations like this show that RDRE technology can support a wide range of Astrobotic missions, from future lunar lander propulsion systems to orbital transfer vehicles and other applications that expand cislunar operations.”

Next Steps and Future Applications

Astrobotic plans to integrate Chakram technology into several future vehicles, including the Griffin lunar lander, the reusable Xodiac and Xogdor rockets, and an orbital transfer vehicle currently under development.

The next phase of the program will focus on regenerative cooling, throttling capability, and mass reduction. PermiAM’s thermal management properties are expected to remain central to these efforts.

Monica Traubman, co-investigator on the Chakram project, commented:

“This test campaign was an enormous success, and we achieved all of our objectives. The test data provides a strong foundation for the next phase of RDRE development and will help guide future engine designs. I’m excited about the future of this technology.”

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Additive Manufacturing Applications in Rocket Engines

For decades, rotating detonation rocket engines existed mostly as theoretical concepts. The extreme combustion environment — including supersonic detonation waves, intense heat flux, and rapidly cycling pressure loads — made conventional machining methods insufficient for producing viable hardware.

Additive manufacturing changed that. It enables highly integrated and complex structures such as cooling channels, flow paths, and injector nozzles that would be impossible using traditional manufacturing methods. Combined with advanced alloys capable of surviving the harsh RDRE environment, these technologies significantly improve the efficiency potential of chemical rocket engines.

Astrobotic is not alone in pursuing this approach. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center RDRE program also employs laser powder bed fusion manufacturing using GRCop-42 and GRX-810 alloys to produce thrust chambers with wall geometries and cooling structures impossible to replicate through conventional machining. Liquid propulsion engineer Thomas Teasley noted that these hardware advances are what enabled RDRE technology to become practically viable.

In April 2025, Venus Aerospace integrated a laser powder bed fusion nozzle developed under a NASA SBIR program into an RDRE platform. The company’s CTO stated that the printed components are ready for integration into future lunar landers, orbital transfer vehicles, and hypersonic drones.

Astrobotic’s Chakram campaign, centered around its proprietary PermiAM porosity-control process and now featuring what is believed to be the longest sustained RDRE burn on record, adds another major milestone to the growing body of evidence supporting additive manufacturing as a transformative technology for next-generation propulsion systems.

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Astrobotic Breaks RDRE Record With 300-Second Burn

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