Ad Astra Rocket Company

Ad Astra Rocket Company, with the slogan "Developing advance, high-power, electric propulsion," is a leader in the development of advanced propulsion systems. The company's flagship product is the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR®) engine, which is the result of more than 30 years of NASA R&D on plasma propulsion and diverse technologies. Located in Webster, Texas, close to NASA’s JSC Center in Houston, the company operates high-tech facilities with a total area of 24,000ft2, a state-of-the-art machine shop, and a differentially pumped vacuum chamber of 150m3 for space environment testing. Additionally, through its international subsidiary in Liberia, Costa Rica, the company focuses on the development of integrated turn-key solutions for distributed renewable energy systems. The company, founded in 2005, operates in the Information Technology industry and is headquartered in the United States. Notably, the most recent investment of $1.50M came in the form of a grant on 12 February 2024 from the Canadian Space Agency. Dr. Franklin R. Chang Díaz, a seven-time NASA space shuttle astronaut, serves as the President and CEO of the company and is credited with inventing the VASIMR® concept. Dr. Chang Díaz has been dedicated to the development of this technology since 1979, positioning the company as a prominent player in the space propulsion industry.