Additive manufacturing of solid propellants: Exploring the frontier of solid propulsion systems

• Summarize the research progress on additive manufacturing technology in the manufacturing of solid propellant. • We compare typical additive manufacturing methods for solid propellants, analyze their characteristics, and identify technical bottlenecks that should be solved. • Regarding the additive manufacturing technology for solid propellants, three future development directions have been proposed: structural design, material formulation, and equipment. Solid propellants are essential energy sources for rockets and other aerospace vehicles, and improvements in their performance have significant implications for the aerospace industry. The application of additive manufacturing (AM) in the production of solid propellants promises a substantial leap in the design and fabrication of solid propellant grains. This review summarizes recent research on AM techniques for solid propellant manufacturing, evaluates current applications, and explores development trends. This review highlights that AM technology for solid propellants offers unparalleled advantages in terms of propellant design flexibility and functional gradient loading compared with traditional processes. This study presents a new perspective for the future manufacturing of intelligent and controllable solid propulsion systems.