Northrop Grumman says Maryland propulsion center forms part of expansion to lift annual rocket motor output above 25,000 by 2029

Northrop Grumman opened a 57,000-square-foot Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland, as part of a broader investment exceeding $100 million. The site brings roughly 250 engineers together to develop and industrialize solid rocket motors and related propulsion technology. Northrop says the expansion will raise site capacity by about 25 percent and staffing by 30 percent. Across its network, the company aims to increase annual rocket-motor output from roughly 13,000 units in 2024 to more than 25,000 by 2029 as missile demand grows across multiple production sites.