Firehawk Aerospace, a manufacturer of advanced energetics systems for defense, has successfully completed the first flight test of its AM GMLRS-class Firehawk Analog (GFA), a 3D printed hybrid rocket engine system. This demonstration highlights the company’s capability to produce hybrid propulsion systems additively, as part of its ongoing Phase III SBIR contract with the Army Applications Laboratory (AAL).
“This milestone proves that hybrid propulsion systems, when paired with advanced additive manufacturing, have a real place in the future of tactical systems,” states Will Edwards, CEO, Firehawk Aerospace. “To design, develop and launch the first-ever GMLRS form-factor hybrid propulsion system underscores the strength and innovation of our engineering team and the scalability of our technology.”
Firehawk’s Hybrid Engine Shows Speed and Flexibility
The hybrid rocket system demonstrated directional stability and thrust performance, achieving a vertical ascent exceeding 18,000 feet and breaking the speed of sound from a custom mobile launch platform. The test illustrates the flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and rapid production potential enabled by hybrid engines combined with additive manufacturing.
The GFA flight is the first in a planned series of demonstrations under the AAL contract. Firehawk plans to next test its Javelin-class and Stinger-class analogs, which are intended as drop-in solid rocket motor replacements for current Department of Defense weapon systems.
3D Printed Space Rockets
Firehawk Aerospace is among a growing number of companies leveraging AM to produce critical rocket components. In May, LEAP 71, a Dubai-based engineering company, entered a new phase in its rocket engine program, concentrating on developing meganewton-class propulsion systems. This effort includes two key engine designs: a 200 kN aerospike and a 2000 kN bell-nozzle, both built upon previous work with smaller-scale engines. The company is using computational engineering techniques and industrial-scale 3D printing to create complex propulsion systems tailored for future space missions.
In 2023, Australian heat transfer specialist Conflux Technology partnered with German space rocket manufacturer Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) to embed their 3D printed heat exchanger into an orbital rocket. Part of the Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars initiative, the heat exchanger components are 3D printed using Conflux Technology’s Monel K 500 metal alloy material and EOS M300-4 Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3D printers.
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Featured image shows First Flight Test of 3D Printed Hybrid Rocket. Photo via Firehawk Aerospace.
