Material producer Chromatic 3D Materials launches an integrated rocket propellant test-firing capability at Camp Ripley, a 53,000-acre National Guard training facility near Little Falls, Minn.
This expansion will enable the company to rapidly develop, validate, and scale next-generation propellant technologies in support of national defense priorities.
The opportunity was made possible through collaboration with Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Minnesota and the Minnesota National Security Ecosystem, which connected Chromatic with Camp Ripley and the Minnesota National Guard.
Together, they created a pathway for the company to establish a sustained testing presence and validate its technology in an operationally relevant environment. OnRamp Hub: Minnesota is part of the Department of War’s initiative to accelerate the adoption of dual-use technologies that address national security needs.
The partnership also brought together LEMA, a Minnesota-based expeditionary power company under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to explore the integration of resilient power generation with Chromatic’s advanced manufacturing and propulsion testing.
“Commercial companies often have promising technologies but need access to the right partners, facilities, and testing environments to demonstrate their capabilities and move forward,” said Matt Hickey, managing director of OnRamp Hub: Minnesota. “Our role is to help make those connections, reduce barriers to testing and evaluation, and create pathways that accelerate getting commercial technologies into the hands of the warfighter. The collaboration between OnRamp Hub: Minnesota, Chromatic, LEMA, Camp Ripley, and the Minnesota National Guard is a strong example of what that can look like in practice.”
By co-locating a dedicated propellant print lab with an on-site test firing infrastructure, Chromatic has created a closed-loop development environment that enables a direct transition from fabrication to live-fire evaluation. This capability significantly accelerates iteration cycles, allowing for the rapid refinement of propellant performance under operationally relevant conditions.
In parallel with Chromatic’s propulsion testing activities, Chromatic and LEMA are collaborating to demonstrate forward-deployed solar power generation capabilities at Camp Ripley. This effort explores how distributed, resilient energy systems can support expeditionary manufacturing and testing operations in austere environments.
By integrating portable solar generation with on-site propellant production and testing, Chromatic and LEMA aim to showcase a model for an energy-independent, rapidly deployable defense infrastructure. This combined capability highlights the potential for operating advanced manufacturing and propulsion testing in forward or resource-constrained settings, reducing logistical burdens while increasing operational flexibility for U.S. forces.
This development represents a key milestone in Chromatic’s path toward full-scale rocket propellant manufacturing. By proving repeatability and performance through accelerated test cycles, Chromatic is advancing the readiness of its technology for deployment across defense applications, including tactical and strategic propulsion systems.
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