Irish Manufacturing Research and the University of Limerick have partnered to design and manufacture the first additively manufactured liquid rocket engine in the Republic of Ireland, according to a Silicon Republic report.

The engine, named the Lúin of Celtchar, is a two-kilonewton water-cooled bi-propellant system using isopropyl alcohol and nitrous oxide.

It was designed entirely by the University of Limerick Aeronautical Society High-Powered Rocketry Team, known as ULAS HiPR, and is currently being produced at IMR's Advanced Manufacturing Lab in Mullingar using metal additive manufacturing.

The engine will be returned to the University of Limerick for precision machining and final assembly.

The announcement coincides with ULAS HiPR's official acceptance into the UK-based Race2Space 2026 International Propulsion competition.

Established in 2022, the team comprises more than 100 students across aeronautical, mechanical, software and design engineering disciplines and has previously represented Ireland at international competitions including Mach-24 and the European Rocketry Challenge.

Jay Looney, co-head of ULAS HiPR, said: "The acceptance of our project to Race2Space marks a defining moment not only for ULAS HiPR, but for Ireland's student space community. The selection of the first additively manufactured liquid rocket engine in the Republic of Ireland into the competition validates the technical ambition of our student team, and the strength of collaboration between Irish university students with industry."

Mark Hartnett, design for manufacturing senior technologist at IMR, said: "At IMR, supporting ambitious student teams like ULAS HiPR reflects our commitment to strengthening Ireland's advanced manufacturing ecosystem and enabling the next generation of aerospace innovators. These are vital platforms for advancing cutting-edge technologies and building Ireland's future engineering capability."

The project follows the recent opening of the ESA Phi-Lab at IMR's Mullingar headquarters, establishing the facility as a growing hub for space-enabled advanced manufacturing in Ireland.

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