Northrop Grumman eyes 25,000 rocket motors annually as it adds 57,000-square-foot US facility

Northrop Grumman opened a new 57,000-square-foot Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland, as part of a broader $100 million investment to expand the company’s solid rocket motor capacity across its propulsion manufacturing network. In a press release, the company explained that “combined with other new construction, modernization and infrastructure improvements underway at the 550-acre Propulsion Systems & Controls site, the new facility will increase on-site SRM design and manufacturing capacity by 25% and support more than 30% growth in staffing.” Maryland Governor Wes Moore joined company leaders, employees, local officials, and industry partners for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the Propulsion Innovation Center, highlighting how the investment extends beyond national security to Maryland’s workforce. The investment will help the company meet growing demand for tactical missiles and hypersonic propulsion systems, while creating engineering and advanced manufacturing jobs in Maryland. “The Propulsion Innovation Center is a critical investment in advanced propulsion that expands the capacity and resilience of the nation’s SRM industrial base,” said Jenna Paukstis, vice president and general manager of weapon systems at Northrop Grumman. “By bringing more engineers and manufacturing capability online in Elkton, this facility accelerates delivery of survivable, solid and air-breathing hypersonic and tactical missile propulsion solutions to the warfighter,” Paukstis added. The facility now employs 250 engineers working on advanced propulsion technologies for U.S. and allied defense programs. New expanded center in Elkton The new center is part of Northrop Grumman’s continued expansion of its 550-acre Propulsion Systems & Controls facility in Elkton, where the company carries out propulsion design, development, manufacturing and testing. The Elkton investment is also part of a larger initiative to expand Northrop Grumman’s solid rocket motor manufacturing capabilities across the United States. The company says it has delivered around 1.3 million SRMs and has about 10 million square feet of SRM manufacturing space across three states. Northrop Grumman has invested more than $1 billion since 2018 in developing its U.S. SRM propulsion manufacturing facilities, with recent projects involving modernization and expansion in Utah and improvements at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia. Northrop Grumman said its current capacity for producing solid rocket propellant is around 30 million pounds per year and that it expects annual propellant production to reach almost 50 million pounds by 2028. Maryland: Best place to build and hire With motor production set to increase, Northrop Grumman produced approximately 13,000 motors in 2024 and plans to raise annual SRM production to more than 25,000 by 2029. The company’s broader propulsion materials statement said that the 2029 level would represent a 25% growth from 2028. Governor Wes Moore of Maryland was joined by company executives, employees, and local officials at the opening of the facility in Elkton. “Maryland is the best place to build and hire,” Moore said. “Our administration is investing in infrastructure and workforce development to attract major players, lead the nation in innovation, and build opportunities to continue to drive our state forward.” Northrop Grumman said it will keep investing in its manufacturing infrastructure, research and development, workforce, and supply chain as it increases production of tactical missiles and state-of-the-art propulsion systems. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Originally from LA, Maria Mocerino has been published in Business Insider, The Irish Examiner, The Rogue Mag, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and now Interesting Engineering.