Award

Solid rocket motors are used by the United States Navy to power a number of different missile systems.  Currently, Navy air-launched missiles exclusively employ metallic motor cases.  The Navy would like take advantage of the low weights composite motor cases could provide, but it faces a number of technological hurdles that have made it impractical to date.  Some of these challenges include limited material databases, low glass-transition temperatures, susceptibility to impact damage, large production tolerances, and difficulty in incorporating air-launch attachment hardware.  Blacktooth Aerospace, LLC (Blacktooth) is proposing to develop a composite solid rocket motor case design using its proprietary MacroweaveTM technology and advanced material systems that will address these shortcomings.  Preliminary analyses of Macroweave structures indicate that baseline designs will be able to meet Navy requirements for air-launched motor cases.  During Phase I, Blacktooth will create and perform a full feasibility study on a trial composite motor case section design for 10-inch diameter tactical missiles.  Groundwork will also be performed for construction and testing of a prototype composite motor case/skirt in Phase II.  Once the technology is mature, Blacktooth intends to license case designs to rocket manufacturers and prime contractors that provide the U.S. military with rocket and missile systems.