Aerojet Rocketdyne’s solid rocket motors incorporate advanced technologies and materials to provide proven propulsion to customers. To understand why these solid rocket motors are so effective, it's important to explore the science behind this key propulsion.
Solid rocket motors use a solid propellant that contains both fuel and oxidizer, which allows these motors to operate across domains – air, sea, land and space. During manufacture, the solid propellant is baked to a pencil-eraser consistency. Once ignited, it produces high temperature combustion gases to generate thrust to power a missile or a rocket. Aerojet Rocketdyne solid rocket motors support a range of defense programs such as hypersonic systems, THAAD and GMLRS.
To meet customer requirements, Aerojet Rocketdyne, now part of L3Harris Technologies, applies more than 80 years of experience designing and producing solid rocket motors.
“Every program we work on has a unique requirement for performance, such as thrust or burn time,” said Adam Laakmann, ballistician, Aerojet Rocketdyne, L3Harris. “We leverage our experience and in-house tools we have developed to design a case, nozzle, initiator and propellant grain that will address specific customer requirements.”
Laakmann works on critical missile defense programs with more than 13 years of experience in the company and almost 25 years in the industry.
Why Solid Rocket Motors Are Chosen For Defense Applications
Solid rocket motors power many of the defense systems that protect our nation and our allies. Some of the main reasons for their usage are the stability, service life, safety and higher energy density that solid propellants provide. Solid rocket motors are also able to be stored for very long periods of time and can be fired reliably at a moment’s notice.
“Solid rocket motors are tested and designed for stability,” said Laakmann. “They’re safer for the operators who handle and launch them and are able to generate more thrust from a smaller package.”
Modernizing and Expanding Capacity
L3Harris is leveraging internal and government investments to modernize and expand solid rocket motor production. In 2023, Aerojet Rocketdyne entered into a $215.6 million Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Defense to expand and modernize facilities in Camden, Arkansas, Huntsville, Alabama and Orange County, Virginia, where the company manufactures solid rocket motors.
Under this agreement, the company is building additional modernized facilities, purchasing advanced equipment, and automating manufacturing processes, to support increased production demand for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), Javelin and Stinger missiles.
