Dubai-based space firm LEAP 71 has successfully test-fired the UAE's first 3D printed rocket engine, with the engine designed entirely by its Noyron AI computational model — marking a landmark moment for the Emirates in space engineering.
UAE's First AI-Designed Rocket Engine Ignites
The engine, designated the Noyron TKL-5, delivered 5 kN (roughly 500 kg-force) of thrust and 20,000 horsepower during its hot-fire test on June 14, 2024, at Airborne Engineering's facility in Westcott, UK. The test comprised both a short-duration burn and a sustained 12-second long-duration burn. The engine performed perfectly on the first attempt and remained fully intact.
This is the first liquid rocket engine to be designed and built in the UAE. It was manufactured from a copper alloy (CuCrZr) using an EOS M290 metal 3D printer by partner company AMCM, with the University of Sheffield handling post-processing and test preparation.
How Noyron Designs Engines Without Human Input
The Noyron Large Computational Engineering Model is the core of LEAP 71's approach. It autonomously generates complete rocket engine designs — from the overall architecture down to specific component geometries — in response to thrust and propellant requirements, without manual engineering input. From final specification to a ready-to-manufacture design takes less than two weeks; each new design iteration takes only minutes.
The test used cryogenic liquid oxygen and kerosene as propellants — a combination known as LOX/kerosene, the same fuel pairing used in large-scale systems such as the SpaceX Falcon 9. Successfully operating this propellant combination in a small engine chamber is considered a significant technical milestone.
"The paradigm significantly accelerates innovation for real-world objects," said Lin Kayser, co-founder of LEAP 71. "The Noyron thruster operating nominally confirms the approach works."
Cutting Costs and Development Time in Half
LEAP 71's AI-driven approach is expected to reduce development costs by more than half and sharply compress construction timelines compared to conventional aerospace engineering methods. The company is already working with aerospace firms across the United States, Europe, and Asia toward commercialization.
Among its partners, LEAP 71 is working with The Exploration Company, a European firm developing the reusable Nyx space capsule. Rather than deploying its own engines commercially, LEAP 71 is focused on advancing the Noyron computational model itself, licensing it to partners who then use AI-designed propulsion systems in their vehicles.
What Comes Next for LEAP 71
Kayser noted that Noyron is close to full commercial deployment, with additional tests planned across a range of engine configurations — varying thrust levels and propellant combinations — for multiple client companies. The goal is to prove Noyron across the full spectrum of liquid rocket engine designs, establishing it as a platform technology for the space industry.
"The three-dimensional computational model we developed is ready for the market, and this test proved it is capable of manufacturing functional rocket engines," Kayser said.
The success of LEAP 71's hot-fire test is a significant signal for the UAE's emerging space sector, demonstrating that the Emirates is not only investing in space launch contracts but producing foundational propulsion technology through homegrown AI engineering.
