Firehawk Aerospace has received a $4 million award to advance 3D-printed thermoplastic propellants aimed at extending the range and flexibility of solid rocket motors. According to Firehawk Aerospace, the funding will support development of novel formulations and printed geometries that could enable improved performance and greater adaptability for defense rocket systems.

The contract was awarded through the Department of the Air Force’s Open Topic SBIR/STTR program, which the company noted is carried out in cooperation with the Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX. Firehawk explained that its work will combine additive manufacturing techniques with energetic materials research to produce motors that are safer to handle, easier to tailor for mission needs, and more resilient in supply-chain terms.

Will Edwards, Firehawk’s co-founder and CEO, said the project is intended to push beyond the limits of conventional solid-propellant designs. He mentioned that additive manufacturing opens new options for internal grain shapes and material blends, allowing designers to tune burn characteristics and performance for diverse operational requirements.

Under the award, Firehawk plans to perform hot-fire testing of candidate propellant compositions and printed motor geometries, with the aim of demonstrating measurable gains in range and functionality suitable for tactical and other defense applications. The company emphasized that the program could accelerate the adoption of printable energetics in fielded rocket systems and support more distributed manufacturing approaches.