Noyron-designed rocket engines
Methane and liquid oxygen rocket engines designed by LEAP 71's software and 3D-printed in metal, in bell and aerospike versions. It has hot-fired 20 kN engines and is working toward 200 kN and 2,000 kN designs.
Why it matters
Designing an engine normally takes a large team years of iteration. LEAP 71 went from specification to first firing in under three weeks for its 20 kN engines, which could help launch companies without a big propulsion department.
How the technology works
Engineers set requirements such as thrust and propellant, and Noyron outputs a printable engine design. In December 2025 two 20 kN methalox engines, one bell nozzle and one aerospike, were printed in copper alloy by Aconity3D and hot-fired over a week.
LEAP 71 says manufacturing validation of 200 kN and 2,000 kN designs is underway, and in March 2026 HBD printed a 200 kN aerospike for it.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction