Across classrooms, laboratories, and innovation hubs, young minds are developing the 3D printing skills that will define the next generation of engineering and manufacturing breakthroughs. Through strategic partnerships with universities and high schools, 3D Systems is creating opportunities for students to gain practical skills, industry exposure, and the confidence to tackle tomorrow's challenges using the latest technology in additive manufacturing.
Thermal Management Collaboration with NASA, Penn State University and Arizona State University
Aerospace Applications with the Purdue Space Program Rocketry Team
3D Systems supported the Purdue Space Program: A SEDS Chapter, Indiana's premier collegiate liquid rocketry team, with their metal 3D printed fuel injector made from LaserForm Ni718. The students at PSP Liquids worked with 3D Systems starting in 2024 to gain real world experience cooling rocket parts to cryogenic temperatures prior to firing the rocket's engine. After successfully static-firing the engine, the team launched their rocket out in the Mojave Desert at the F.A.R. Launch Complex in Spring 2026.
High Performing Rockets with TU Delft Stratos V Student Team
In February 2025, 3D Systems assisted the Stratos V student-led team in producing key parts for their highest performance hot fire test yet with the DLX-150C engine using metal 3D printing!
The 12-second hot fire demonstrated 11 kN of constant thrust and a specific impulse of 230s, validating the thermal design of the chamber and proving its ability to operate steadily under these conditions. Our 3D Systems' experts helped reiterate existing designs and pair them with the latest 3D printing technology to achieve a 10% increase in efficiency.
With this milestone reached, the Stratos V team is one step closer to launching their student-built bipropellant rocket.
