Raytheon and Northrop Grumman have moved into the next phase of a US defense program aimed at redesigning how solid rocket motors are built and used.
Raytheon and Northrop Grumman have moved into the next phase of a US defense program aimed at redesigning how solid rocket motors are built and used.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) selected Raytheon for phase two of its Burn n’ Go initiative, which focuses on developing a solid rocket motor that can be adapted to various missions.
The project is being carried out with Northrop Grumman’s Allegany Ballistic Laboratory and material technology company Luna Innovations.
According to Raytheon, the technology would allow operators to adjust thrust on demand and tailor a motor for different weapons systems without redesigning the propulsion unit from scratch.
The award follows a seven-month phase one effort in which the team demonstrated the feasibility of the propulsion concept. Phase two will focus on scaling the design and conducting demonstrations using increasingly realistic rocket motor configurations.
Raytheon Advanced Technology President Colin Whelan said the move addresses the issue of solid rocket motor production becoming a critical bottleneck for many missile programs.
"By pursuing a composable approach to how these motors are designed and built, we're helping lay the groundwork for faster, more adaptable munitions production across multiple mission sets,” he said.
Burn n’ Go Program
The Burn n’ Go effort focuses on innovations that can control burn surface area after production, speed up quality control for ignition systems and propellant casting, and enable real-time health monitoring of solid rocket motors.
Aside from Raytheon and Northrop, the agency also awarded Voyager Technologies a $16.5-million contract to continue developing a solid rocket motor thrust-control technology.
Over the 20-month effort, the company will combine system modeling and controls expertise with advanced propellant and manufacturing work, culminating in proof-of-concept hot-fire demonstrations.
