Ammonium perchlorate composite propellant

Ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP) is a modern solid rocket

propellant used in both manned and unmanned rocket vehicles. It differs from
many traditional solid rocket propellants such as black powder or zinc-
sulfur, not only in chemical composition and overall performance, but also by
the nature of how it is processed. APCP is cast into shape, as opposed to powder
pressing as with black-powder. This allows for manufacturing regularity and
repeatability which are necessary requirements for use in the aerospace
industry.
 .Ammonium perchlorate composite propellant is typically used in aerospace
propulsion applications, where simplicity and reliability are desired and specific
impulses (depending on the composition and operating pressure) of 180-260
seconds are adequate. Because of these performance attributes, APCP is
regularly implemented in booster applications such as in the space shuttle
solid rocket boosters, aircraft ejection seats, and specialty space exploration
applications such as NASA's mars exploration rovers’ descent
stage retrorockets. In addition, the high power rocketry community
regularly uses APCP in the form of commercially available propellant
"reloads", as well as single-use motors. Experienced experimental and amateur
rocketeers also often work with APCP, processing the APCP themselves