Full-Time
Posted on 9/3/2025
Develops hypersonic propulsion for terrestrial transport
No salary listed
Houston, TX, USA
Hybrid
Remote candidates must be available to travel to and from Houston, TX on a regular basis.
US Citizenship Required
Venus Aerospace focuses on making hypersonic travel possible for terrestrial use, aiming to enable one-hour global transport. The core product is a cost-effective hypersonic engine designed to power aircraft capable of extremely high speeds. The engine technology is developed to be sold or licensed to aircraft manufacturers or airline operators, generating revenue through B2B sales. Unlike others in the field, Venus emphasizes affordability and practicality, backed by a team with strong rocket science and engineering backgrounds. The goal is to shorten travel times globally while improving safety and transforming how people and goods move around the world.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Series A
Total Funding
$23M
Headquarters
Houston, Texas
Founded
2020
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Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Flexible Work Hours
401(k) Retirement Plan
Stock Options
Professional Development Budget
Lockheed Martin invests in Venus Aerospace to advance rocket propulsion technology. Lockheed Martin, through its venture arm Lockheed Martin Ventures, has made a strategic investment in Venus Aerospace, a Houston-based startup developing next-generation rocket propulsion systems. Why did Lockheed Martin Ventures invest in Venus Aerospace? Venus said Wednesday the funding, announced at the Axios Future of Defense Summit in Washington, D.C., will accelerate the development and production of Venus' flight-proven rotating detonation rocket engine, or RDRE, for defense, space and commercial aviation applications. Lockheed intends to integrate Venus' propulsion systems into future defense and space platforms. "With support from Lockheed Martin Ventures, we will advance our capabilities to deliver at scale and deploy the engine that will power the next 50 years of defense, space and commercial high-speed aviation," said Sassie Duggleby, co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace. The aerospace and defense propulsion market, valued at over $260 billion in 2022, is expected to expand significantly. Investment in dual-use propulsion technologies is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2040. Venus' RDRE is positioned to serve multiple sectors, including the hypersonics market, which is forecast to approach $12 billion by 2032. "Next-generation propulsion will define the future of the space and defense industries," said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures.
Lockheed Martin ventures invests in rocket engine startup Venus Aerospace. Venus Aerospace on Wednesday said it has received a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin's [LMT] venture capital arm to help speed technology development. The value of the investment was not disclosed. Airbus Group's ventures arm previously invested in Venus (Defense Daily, June 14, 2023). Venus in May said it successfully completed the first flight test of its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE), which the company is developing to enable hypersonic vehicles to take off from conventional runways (Defense Daily, May... Subscriber-only content. Please log in below. Not a subscriber or registered user yet? Please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.
Lockheed Martin Ventures has invested in Venus Aerospace, a startup specializing in next-gen rocket propulsion, particularly its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE). This partnership aims to enhance Venus's capabilities and scale production for defense, space, and commercial aviation. Venus has raised over $106 million to date. The collaboration highlights the growing importance of innovative propulsion technologies in the aerospace sector.
Melroy, NASA's former Deputy Administrator, has joined the Board of Directors for Houston-based startup Venus Aerospace just months after the company became first in the U.S. to launch a rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE).
Venus Aerospace recently secured a $3.9 million grant from the Texas Space Commission.