Automated Propellant-Blending Machine

The automated propellant-blending machine, a Johnson Space Center (JSC) innovation, refines the production processes of commercial rocket-propellant manufacturers by: (1) generating inert blends that contain particles of uniform size; (2) eliminating manual mixing, thereby speeding production and reducing the risk of injury or death; and (3) making it possible, with little or no modification, to produce a finer end-product for commercial and aerospace applications. These refinements are achieved by use of a nonproprietary technique — a significant departure in that commercial propellant manufacturers frequently use proprietary precipitation-drop techniques unavailable to other propellant manufacturers. One manufacturer has already expressed interest in the JSC automated propellant-blending machine.