Chromatic 3D Materials, a company developing additively manufactured elastomeric and propulsion materials, has announced successful prototype printing and static fire testing of its 3D printed rocket propellant at the Integrated Solutions for Systems (IS4S) test range in Opelika, Alabama. Tests showed the material sustained combustion pressures above 1,800 psi without structural failure, marking a milestone in advancing resilient, next-generation propulsion manufacturing for rockets and defense applications.
Its propellant achieves energetic loading levels comparable to top-performing conventional propellants while delivering the structural integrity required to withstand high-pressure combustion environments. Together, those attributes enable propulsion performance on par with today’s fielded systems, with a clear pathway to surpass them. Based on current results, the material has the capability to propel approximately 90% of the U.S. rocket arsenal with equivalent speed and range.
Beyond matching conventional systems, the propulsion effort uses multi-material 3D printing to open new design options. Chromatic’s process allows propellant to be printed directly onto or within structural components, enabling optimized geometries, improved mass efficiency, and unique thrust control. Those changes can translate into increased thrust, extended range, and greater mission flexibility.
Founded in 2016, Chromatic developed RX-AM, short for Reactive Extrusion Additive Manufacturing, as a proprietary platform for 3D printing durable elastomeric materials. Over the past two years, the firm has extended RX-AM to rocket propellant by adapting conventional polybutadiene propellant binder chemistries for its additive manufacturing process. That approach enables a safer, lower-cost, and significantly faster production process while maintaining, and increasingly exceeding, the performance standards required for operational systems.
“These results demonstrate that additive manufacturing is not only viable for defense propulsion—it can drive meaningful performance gains across at least 90% of the U.S. rocket arsenal,” said Dr. Cora Leibig, founder and CEO at Chromatic 3D Materials. “We’re showing that it’s possible to maintain compatibility with existing systems while opening the door to rockets that fly farther, hit harder, and can be produced faster.” Chromatic added that it is continuing to work with government and industry stakeholders to accelerate adoption of additive manufacturing technologies that enhance readiness and supply chain resilience.
3D printed propellant moves from concept toward validation
Additive manufactured solid propellant has already progressed beyond early development into live testing. In 2022, X-Bow Systems carried out the first launch of its Bolt rocket using Ballesta engines fueled by 3D printed solid propellant grains shaped for mission-specific requirements. That result mattered because it showed additive manufacturing could move propellant design beyond static geometry constraints and into flight hardware, giving engineers more control over how solid motors are configured for launch applications.
Defense-backed work in this area has also centered on constraints that matter for adoption, not just performance claims. In 2025, Firehawk Aerospace secured a $1.25 million Phase II SBIR contract from AFWERX, supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory, to further develop shelf-stable propellant technology for air-to-air weapon systems. Its project scope included formulation development, subscale motor validation, full-scale static-fire demonstrations, lifecycle cost analysis, and performance assessments. Taken together, those efforts show that additive manufactured propellant is being judged on storage life, validation pathway, manufacturability, and deployment readiness as much as on thrust or energetic output.
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Featured photo shows The successful launch of X-Bow’s Bolt rocket. Photo via X-Bow Systems.
