SBIR-STTR Award

Technical •X-BOW had developed, built, tested and demonstrated additively manufactured solid rocket motors using direct-extrusion printing of a propellent slurry. While the benefits of additive manufacturing solid rocket motors far outweigh the traditional “cast & pour” method, the science of buildability, repeatability, and quality are perpetually being studied. X-BOW is extremely interested in teaming with AFRL’s Materials & Manufacturing Directorate to better understand additive manufacturing synergies, leverage additional support in their material science expertise, and ultimately provide the warfighter with a novel, low-cost, and tailorable solid rocket motor manufacturing process that will enable rapid and responsive launch capabilities—anywhere & anytime. •Overview •During Phase I X-BOW will work with AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. X-BOW is interested in having numerous collaboration meetings to discuss additive manufacturing processes and material science aspects of direct extrusion printing. Overall objective is to partner on the research and focus on buildability, repeatability, and quality of additively manufacturing solid rocket motors (SRM). •Technical Merit •X-Bow’s team has the knowledge, capability, and agility to succeed in cost-effective advanced additive manufactured solid propellent - our rapid prototyping approach makes us uniquely positioned to provide the commercial community with next-generation affordable propulsion products that Big Industry struggles to achieve. To date, X-Bow has been funded by DARPA, DIU, Army, and Venture Capital, which allowed for the further development of Additively Manufactured Solid Propellants (AMSP). •Team •X-Bow is a small launch services and technology business. Under DARPA and Army sponsorship, X-Bow is additively manufacturing solid propellants (AMSP), which epitomizes rapid solid rocket motor prototyping, significantly lowering costs, at greatly reduced lead-times. •Commercialization •X-Bow received over $2.5M in venture to strength and jump start our commercialization plan for additively manufactured solid motors. Our first two contract launches with DIU and Los Alamos National Labs will validate both X-Bow’s business plan and technology.

X-BOW had developed, built, tested and demonstrated additively manufactured solid rocket motors using direct-extrusion printing of a propellent slurry. While the benefits of additive manufacturing solid rocket motors far outweigh the traditional “cast & pour” method, the science of buildability, repeatability, and quality are perpetually being studied. X-BOW is extremely interested in teaming with AFRL’s Materials & Manufacturing Directorate to better understand additive manufacturing synergies, leverage additional support in their material science expertise, and ultimately provide the warfighter with a novel, low-cost, and tailorable solid rocket motor manufacturing process that will enable rapid and responsive launch capabilities—anywhere & anytime. X-BOW further believes it's additive manufacture of Solid Propellants (AMSP) will disrupt the overall rocket propellent market and create competition benefit USG and commercial space. There are only two (2) remaining major US manufacturers of solid rocket motors. The manufacturing processes used by these DoD Primes requires millions of square feet to house manufacturing equipment and store both equipment and product. This infrastructure comes with significant company overhead, which is reflected in the high cost of solids and SRMs.