Envision designing a rocket engine not through months of meticulous trial and error, but in weeks—or even minutes—using artificial intelligence, then bringing it to life via 3D printing. This is no longer a speculative concept. LEAP 71, a Dubai-based technology leader, is achieving precisely that, driving a transformation in the aerospace sector with groundbreaking innovation.
Who Is LEAP 71?
LEAP 71 stands apart from traditional engineering firms. Established by aerospace engineer Josefine Lissner and seasoned entrepreneur Lin Kayser, the company has pioneered Computational Engineering—an advanced methodology blending artificial intelligence, automation, and physics-based design principles.
Operating from Dubai’s burgeoning technology ecosystem, LEAP 71 is reshaping the creation of complex machinery, with a particular focus on rocket engines. Their aim is clear: to expedite innovation and broaden access to sophisticated engineering solutions, especially within aerospace.
Central to their efforts is Noyron, a Large Computational Engineering Model that operates as an autonomous design system. Unlike conventional approaches, which depend on human engineers manually adjusting CAD models, Noyron independently produces fully realized, functional designs. Guided by physics, logic, and manufacturing parameters, it achieves this with remarkable speed.
A Milestone in Rocket Engine Development
In June 2024, LEAP 71 marked a significant achievement by successfully test-firing the Noyron TKL-5, a rocket engine entirely conceived by AI and fabricated through 3D printing, without human intervention.
This was no minor prototype. The TKL-5 generated 5 kN of thrust—equivalent to 1,124 pounds or 20,000 horsepower—powered by cryogenic liquid oxygen and kerosene, the same propellant blend employed by SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Notably, the journey from final design to production spanned less than two weeks, a stark contrast to the months or years typical of traditional rocket development.
The engine was constructed from copper (CuCrZr alloy) by AMCM using an EOS M290 printer. Copper’s susceptibility to melting posed a challenge, but Noyron’s design integrated sophisticated cooling channels, maintaining surface temperatures below 250°C despite internal combustion reaching 3,000°C.
Mastering the Aerospike Frontier
In December 2024, LEAP 71 advanced further, successfully test-firing a 5 kN aerospike rocket engine—a feat accomplished by only a handful of teams over the past three decades.
Aerospike engines hold a distinct edge over conventional bell-nozzle designs, dynamically adapting to atmospheric pressure changes to sustain optimal efficiency from launch to orbit. However, their development has historically been hindered by complexities in cooling and fabrication.
Noyron surmounted these obstacles, producing a single-piece copper aerospike engine, 3D-printed by Aconity3D. On December 18, 2024, during a rigorous four-day testing campaign in the UK, the engine executed a flawless inaugural hot-fire test. Co-founder Lin Kayser views this as a stepping stone, declaring, “Aerospikes are absent from current spaceflight applications. Our intent is to change that.”
Scaling Ambition: Larger, More Potent Designs
At Formnext 2024, the premier global 3D printing exposition, LEAP 71 showcased two formidable advancements:
- A 200 kN rocket engine—40 times more powerful than the TKL-5—fabricated in aluminum as a single, 1.3-meter-tall unit by Eplus3D. Given aluminum’s low melting point, Noyron engineered a dual-cooling system, utilizing liquid oxygen for the combustion chamber and kerosene for the nozzle.
- A full-scale copper aerospike, underscoring their command of next-generation propulsion technology.
Why This Breakthrough Resonates
LEAP 71’s methodology promises to significantly reduce both the cost and timeline of rocket engine production, potentially democratizing access to spaceflight. Traditional engineering relies on protracted, iterative cycles, whereas Noyron delivers designs in weeks, continuously refining them with insights from testing.
Their impact extends beyond proprietary achievements. By open-sourcing tools like PicoGK—a geometry kernel for intricate design generation—LEAP 71 is empowering the broader engineering community to leverage their innovations.
Looking Ahead
LEAP 71 is actively partnering with aerospace firms across the United States, Europe, and Asia to commercialize their engines. Recent tests of a 7 kN thruster signal ongoing progress, while updates on social media platforms suggest additional hot-fire trials in early 2025.
This represents a paradigm shift in aerospace engineering. LEAP 71 is not merely constructing rocket engines; they are redefining the discipline itself. Through AI-driven design and advanced 3D printing, they demonstrate that the next era of space exploration is not only imminent but poised to exceed expectations in ingenuity and scope.
