> That's interesting.  I spoke with a representative of NASA one time
> at Kennedy Space Flight Center.  I asked him what the solid booster
> fuel was; he said "ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder in a rubber
> bonding matrix."


It's ammonium perchlorate plus aluminium in a rubber matrix

And, FWIW:


Space Shuttle:
SRBs Al 16%,
Ammonium Perchlorate  69.83%,
Iron Oxide (catalyst) 0.17%,
Binder & Curing 14%)

Binder is PBAN (polybutylacrylonitrile =- slightly less Isp than now more
common HTPB

2,650,000lbf at launch 2 minutes burn,
149 feet x 12 ft dia.
1,300,000 lbm at launch

Space Shuttle SRB specification.
Total Propellant Weight     1106280 lbf
Total RSRM weight           1255592 lbf
Max thrust vacuum           3060000 lbf
Burn time                   123.7 sec
Assembled motor length      1513 inch
Case diam                   146 INCH
Prop mass fraction - motor  88.2%
Templimits                  40 F to 120 F
Chamb pressure max / avg    910 / 662 psia
Specific impulse altitude   268.2 sec
Burn rate                   0.434 in/sec
% liftoff thrust            71.4%
RSRM nozzle characteristics
Type                    Contoured or Bell
TVC                     Flexible bearing - 8 deg from centreline Expansion
area ratio    7.72
Throat diam             53.86 inch
Exit diameter           178.75 inch
Nozzle weight           23,941 lbf
Max pressure            1,1016 psi ???
Materials               9 liners carbon cloth phenolic
                              Bonded to 6 steel & Al housings.

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