Largest 34-inch solid rocket motor test propels US missile production forward

This milestone confirms the scalability and effectiveness of X-Bow’s approach, demonstrating that affordable, large-scale production of SRMs is achievable.

Kapil Kajal

Bolt Rocket equipped with the XB-32 SRM.

X-Bow

X-Bow Systems, a US supplier of advanced manufactured solid rocket motors (SRMs), has announced the successful test-fire of the Bolt Rocket equipped with the XB-32 SRM.

The XB-32 motor, part of X-Bow’s Bolt rocket family, is the largest Advanced Manufactured Solid Propellant (AMSP) motor ever flown. It utilizes the company’s patented advanced manufacturing technology.

This milestone confirms the scalability and effectiveness of X-Bow’s approach, demonstrating that affordable, large-scale production of SRMs is achievable.

According to X-Bow, the test flight successfully gathered critical data for pre- and post-flight analysis, validating the motor’s performance and confirming X-Bow’s ability to predict SRM characteristics accurately.

The fully in-house designed, developed, and operated Bolt rocket family will have multiple upcoming missions in partnership with Los Alamos National Labs.

Sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and US Army Space and Missile Defense Command and with further support from Redwire, New Mexico Tech, DARPA, and Air Force Research Labs, this mission represents a new era of options for both commercial and defense contractors in SRM manufacturing.

X-Bow’s innovative ‘digital-twin’ technology and modular SRM production allow customers to tailor SRM performance to specific mission needs, providing unmatched flexibility compared to traditional single-point designs.

This capability positions X-Bow as a leader in an industry where capacity and development constraints often limit new entrants.

“This successful launch validates our commitment to advanced manufacturing of energetics. Unlike traditional methods, X-Bow’s patented technology allows us to design, produce, and test SRMs with unprecedented speed, precision and scalability,” Jason Hundley, X-Bow CEO, said.

“Today’s flight test used 10–20 tactical SRMs worth of propellant, all manufactured here in New Mexico through our partnership with New Mexico Tech’s Energetics Material Research Test Center.”

He added, “We have seen how the Cold War-era model of development, production, and stockpiling—coupled with over-consolidation in the industrial base—has left the US and its allies unprepared for the demands of rapid scaling, production, and innovation.”

“At X-Bow, we are addressing this by building the nation’s second-largest SRM factory, completing it in a fraction of the time and cost compared to traditional capabilities. We are the only company today, with a flight-validated manufacturing process, adding significant new capacity for SRM production for the US and its allies.”

Solid propulsion systems in rockets offer several advantages and disadvantages.

One advantage is their simplicity, low cost, and reliability, which make them suitable for various applications, such as boosters and main propulsion units.

They also have high thrust capabilities, allowing for efficient propulsion.

However, solid-propellant rockets have limitations. They cannot interrupt and restart thrust production, which limits their use in in-space propulsion.

Additionally, the nozzle throat erosion due to chemically aggressive environments can decrease rocket thrust and affect motor operation.

Another disadvantage is the limited control over thrust and specific impulse compared to hybrid rockets. Despite these limitations, solid propulsion systems continue to be used due to their simplicity, low cost, and reliability.

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Kapil Kajal Kapil Kajal is an award-winning journalist with a diverse portfolio spanning defense, politics, technology, crime, environment, human rights, and foreign policy. His work has been featured in publications such as Janes, National Geographic, Al Jazeera, Rest of World, Mongabay, and Nikkei. Kapil holds a dual bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronics, and Communication Engineering and a master’s diploma in journalism from the Institute of Journalism and New Media in Bangalore.

2 days ago

Kapil Kajal