Chromatic 3D Materials Opens Propellant Test Site in Minnesota

What is happening at Camp Ripley

Chromatic 3D Materials has signed a five-year lease to run rocket propellant tests at Camp Ripley, a 210 square kilometer Minnesota National Guard training site near Little Falls. The facility already hosts U.S. military units and international partners. Chromatic plans to 3D print propellant samples, test them on-site, and iterate quickly based on the results.

The arrangement came together through the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub and the Minnesota National Security Ecosystem. Alongside rocket work, Chromatic will collaborate with auxiliary power company LEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to explore whether similar materials can generate power in remote locations.

Why this matters

Solid rocket motors show up in more places than most people realize. They power extended artillery, anti-air missiles, and intercontinental systems. Demand is climbing as the U.S. and its allies try to replenish stocks sent to Ukraine and prepare for drone-heavy conflict.

Traditional propellant manufacturing can be slow. 3D printing changes that equation. Chromatic's RX AM process is built around low-cost materials and scalable production. If live-fire testing at Camp Ripley goes well, the company says it can move from prototype to production faster than conventional methods allow.

The bigger picture

Chromatic is not alone in pushing 3D printed propulsion. Firehawk, Ursa Major, and Xbow are all working on similar problems with military funding. The timing is good for Chromatic. Its original focus was elastomeric parts like grommets and cushioning. The shift to rocket propulsion is a sharp pivot, but the underlying technology for printing energetic materials carries over.

A five-year lease gives the company room to build a real testing track record. That track record is what defense customers actually buy. In this market, data from live tests matters more than marketing claims.