How SpaceX Engineers New Designs

Elon Musk says SpaceX is exploring methods for engineers to accelerate their workflow by designing more directly in 3D. “We are integrating breakthroughs in sensor and visualization technologies to view and modify designs more naturally and efficiently than we could using purely 2D tools. We are just beginning, but eventually hope to build the fastest route between the idea of a rocket and the reality of the factory floor.”

The rocket engine chamber shown  is regeneratively cooled and printed in Inconel, a high performance superalloy. Printing the chamber resulted in an order of magnitude reduction in lead time compared with traditional machining. The path from the initial concept to the first hotfire was just over three months. 

The computer technologies are from Leap Motion, Siemens, and Oculus VR, as well as NVIDIA, Projection Design, and Provision.