For the past year, researchers and students at New Mexico Tech have been researching advanced manufacturing techniques to develop rocket propellants that would reduce propellant costs and allow for rapid access to space. This research is part of a larger DARPA program, and the NMT Team is part of an industry-led team that has been funded through a DARPA Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award.

The NMT team includes graduate and undergraduate student researchers and is being led by Dr. Chelsey Hargather, Assistant Professor of Materials Engineering. The team’s work so far has included hands-on, real-time study of the development and analysis of energetic material combinations, as well as the evaluation of propellant systems after exiting the printer.

“This project has given our students a fast-paced, exciting project to work on that has fostered a relationship with both DARPA and our industry partner,” Hargather said. “Having students perform hands-on research with tangible applications has given them invaluable experience.” 

Experience that leads to results, such as the test sample shown in the video below. 

This sample was printed in the shape of the letters NMT then burned in a fume hood. According to graduate student Matthew Hinton, “(T)he burn successfully illustrates the potential of the technology that we are developing. It's very encouraging to have such a positive result after all of the hard work that has gone into Phase I of this project.”

This ongoing research continues to develop the science of energetic materials printing through better understanding of the rheology and chemistry involved in various material systems.