X-Bow announces successful test of large rocket motor

Aug. 14—Albuquerque-based X-Bow Systems last month announced it had successfully tested its Ballesta-34 solid rocket motor, the largest of its kind.

The rocket, nicknamed the XB-32, is the world's largest advanced manufactured solid propellant (AMSP) motor, according to officials from X-Bow, pronounced crossbow. The company uses a patented manufacturing technology.

The company said in a news release that the test marked a significant step forward in the industry's use of additive and advanced manufacturing for strategic and tactical propulsion systems.

"The success of this test is a monumental milestone for X-Bow that validates the viability of our advanced manufacturing technology as it has now scaled from 2-inch diameter to 30-inch-plus diameter, proving the applicability of X-Bow's industry-changing process to meet a rapidly growing SRM demand," Jill Marsh, X-Bow's Vice president of advanced manufacturing and operations, said in a statement.

The Ballesta-34 is 34 inches in diameter, making it the largest of its kind.

X-Bow officials said the test aligned with the company's predicted margin of error. The company will now look at a flight demonstration in the coming months.

X-Bow is headquartered in Albuquerque and operates in California, Alabama, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

It has been one of Albuquerque's more successful startups in recent years.

Last year, X-Bow won a $64 million contract to fully adapt its proprietary rocket-motor technology for use on hypersonic weapons systems managed by both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy.

"X-Bow's AMSP technology offers significant advantages in throughput, safety, efficiency and production cost over traditional propellant manufacturing methods," X-Bow's Chief Engineer Matthew Hinton said in a statement. "It is an extremely versatile, customizable and scalable method of producing solid rocket motor propellant."