# How MIT is Pushing the Boundaries of AM Research in Space

- Show: [Additive Snack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack)
- Published: 2023-02-28
- Length: 28m
- Episode: 3
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/9b423921

## Summary

Zach Cordero, a professor at MIT who leads the aerospace materials and structures laboratory, discusses his new crash course on additive manufacturing for aerospace engineers and his research into bespoke materials for space applications. He explains why additive manufacturing aligns perfectly with the low-volume, high-performance needs of the space industry, particularly for propulsion systems like those used by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Cordero highlights the critical role of post-processing, specifically a new heat treatment process his team is commercializing to improve creep resistance in laser powder bed fusion components, enabling them to compete with traditional single-crystal alloys in gas turbines.

## Chapters

- [0:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space#t=29) Introduction and MIT Course Overview
- [2:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space#t=145) Workforce Development and Industry Partners
- [4:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space#t=277) Additive Manufacturing in the Space Industry
- [7:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space#t=427) Material Challenges in Next-Gen Propulsion
- [13:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space#t=818) Designing for Additive vs. Legacy Designs
- [20:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space#t=1255) The Critical Role of Post-Processing
- [23:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space#t=1390) Commercializing Heat Treatment for Creep Resistance

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- EOS (company)
- MIT (company)
- SpaceX (company)
- Blue Origin (company)
- Relativity (company)
- Carpenter (company)
- New Frontier Aerospace (company)
- Inconel 718 (material)
- NASA (company)
- GE (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [HIBT Lab! Ursa Major: Joe Laurienti](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-04-20-hibt-lab-ursa-major-joe-laurienti) (How I Built This)
- [21. AI Rescues Firefighters, NASA Prints Spacecraft Parts, Plug & Play Prosthetics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-06-08-21-ai-rescues-firefighters-nasa-prints-spacecraft-parts-plug-play-prosthetics) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Why Your Toughest Parts Still Use 50-Year-Old Materials w/ Fazal Mahmood](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-09-08-why-your-toughest-parts-still-use-50-year-old-materials-w-fazal-mahmood) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Star Trek Replicators? How Additive Manufacturing is Changing the Industry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-09-14-star-trek-replicators-how-additive-manufacturing-is-changing-the-industry) (Over the Air)
- [The Digital Warehouse: A Look Inside Additive Manufacturing w/ Melanie Lang](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-03-01-the-digital-warehouse-a-look-inside-additive-manufacturing-w-melanie-lang) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Additive Snack.