Spain: 3D printing and AI to allow rockets evolve like nature

FADA-CATEC (Fundación Andaluza para el Desarrollo Aeroespacial - Centro Avanzado de TECnologías) is supporting Zero 2 Infinity (Z2I) in the development of a new generation of rocket engines.

Recently, FADA-CATEC has successfully 3D printed a combustion chamber for Zero 2 Infinity's Bloostar engine. Jose Mariano López-Urdiales, founder and CEO of Zero 2 Infinity, praised the benefits of 3D printing: "Traditional rockets have had straight cooling channels because that's all that could be manufactured. When you put a flashlight in your ear, you see a wonderful tree-like structure of blood vessels. We don't have straight rows of blood vessels in our ears. 3D printing and AI now allow rockets to evolve, like nature."

Zero 2 Infinity is an spanish privately-owned company with subsidiaries in Germany and the United States. The plans of the company include using AI (Artificial Intelligence) and neural networks to optimize the cooling of the thrust chamber via structures that cannot be manufactured by any other means.

Spain Approved Budget for Spike Procurement

Earlier this year, the Spanish Ministry of Defense announced its intention to purchase 260 Spike launchers and 2550 Spike L-R missiles from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Now it has been published that the Ministry has committed €1.8 billion ($2.1 billion) of funding for a series of special armament programs, and as part of the massive defense acquisitions, Spain would purchase such missiles and missile launchers with funding now falling under core defense budget.

Poland, Romania and Spain, targets of russian missiles

Poland, Romania and Spain have volunteered to take on elements of an American missile shield, despite Russia's firm opposition to US missile defense near its borders in Europe, and the constant warning of Russia regarding that states who decide to harbor elements of such defensive system will be target of the russian missiles.

The relationship between the United States and Russia are currently tense, especially in Europe, with the respective allies of countries that repeatedly meet pulling, buzzing and intercepting the other aircraft over the Baltic Sea in June. If that were not enough, it is rumored that US President Donald Trump would be considering to abandon the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty (INF).

The agreement restrains US and Russian missiles within ranges of 500 to 5.500 kilometers, but Republicans want to close the deal to develop new missiles, arguing that Russia would already done the same. Viktor Shamanov, head of the Defense Committee in the Russian lower house and leading military expert for the United Russia party, addressed the issue today: "We have to wait for a US decision, but I think withdrawing would be worse for everyone because This would provoke an arms race in which nobody will be winner ".

Rota (Spain): Russia expresses concern

Mikhail Fradkov, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (Russian: Служба Внешней Разведки Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki or SVR) has already briefed President Putin on the implications of the USS Donald Cook re-positioning in Rota base and US intentions to deploy at least four more ballistic missile defense capable ships in the region.

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