Frontier Aerospace
Frontier Aerospace Corporation designs and manufactures liquid rocket propulsion systems, notably the TALOS family of cold propellant thrusters, for NASA civil space missions, commercial lunar landers (e.g., Astrobotic's Peregrine), and U.S. defense agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersSimi Valley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Frontier Aerospace does
Frontier Aerospace Corporation (formerly Frontier Engineering, founded 1997 by Jim McKinnon and incorporated in 2014) is a privately held U.S. rocket propulsion company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California, that designs, develops, and manufactures liquid rocket engines and thrusters for in-space applications. Its core product line is the TALOS® family of cold propellant engines, which use MON-25/MMH bipropellant to operate across an unusually wide temperature range (-40°F to 80°F) without thermal conditioning. The portfolio includes the TALOS 10-lbf attitude control thruster (sub-0.34 kg, sub-10 ms response time) and the TALOS 150-lbf axial thruster (2.7 lbm, used for orbit insertion and lunar descent). The company also develops a 25-lbf bipropellant thruster and additive manufacturing capabilities for propulsion components.
Frontier generates revenue through three streams: direct hardware sales of engines and thrusters to government and commercial customers, government R&D contracts (primarily via NASA SBIR Phase 3 and defense agencies), and additive manufacturing services. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting NASA civil space programs, commercial space integrators (notably Astrobotic for the Peregrine Lunar Lander and additional lunar landers), the Missile Defense Agency, and the US Navy (NAWCWD at China Lake for hypergolic/low-toxicity fuel research). Sales cycles are long and contract-based, with the company holding AS9100 aerospace quality certification.
The company is venture-backed with $5.5 million raised in a 2021 seed round and $10 million in a March 2023 Series A led by AEI HorizonX (managed by AE Industrial Partners). Frontier achieved a major technical milestone in 2024 with the successful first flight of its TALOS 10-lbf and 150-lbf engines and the first use of MON-25 cold propellant in an exploration mission. The company employs between 11 and 50 people and holds a registered trademark on the TALOS brand.
Frontier Aerospace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Frontier Aerospace
- Legal name
- Frontier Aerospace Corporation
- Website
- https://frontier.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Frontier Aerospace Corporation designs and manufactures liquid rocket propulsion systems, notably the TALOS family of cold propellant thrusters, for NASA civil space missions, commercial lunar landers (e.g., Astrobotic's Peregrine), and U.S. defense agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Frontier Aerospace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rocket Propulsion Systems
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rocket Engines (Liquid) (IMABADAE), Rocket Motors, Propellants & Warhead Integration (IMABAHAC), Rocket & Missile Propellants (IMAEALAF)
Keywords
Where Frontier Aerospace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Simi Valley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Frontier Aerospace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Rocket Engine and Thruster Hardware Sales: Direct hardware sales of liquid rocket engines, attitude control thrusters, and axial thrusters to government agencies (NASA, Missile Defense Agency, US Navy) and commercial space companies (Astrobotic). Revenue is project-based with long sales cycles and contract-based delivery.
- Government Research and Development Contracts: Revenue from NASA SBIR contracts, defense agency awards, and government R&D programs. Includes Phase 3 SBIR for TALOS development, US Navy contracts for hypergolic fuel research, and MDA flight qualification support.
- Additive Manufacturing Services: Addictive manufacturing capabilities for rocket propulsion components as part of conceptualizing, designing, and proving innovative in-space and launch system rocket propulsion.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom rocket propulsion systems are quote-based with pricing dependent on thrust class, quantity, and development requirements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Frontier Aerospace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Frontier Aerospace designs, manufactures, and qualifies liquid rocket propulsion systems for in-space applications. Its core product is the TALOS family of cold propellant thrusters — including the 10-lbf attitude control thruster and the 150-lbf axial thruster — which burn MON-25/MMH bipropellant and operate across an extreme temperature range (-40°F to 80°F) without conditioning. The company delivers these engines and thrusters under contract to NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, and commercial space customers for lunar landers, deep space missions, and missile defense applications.
Product overview
Frontier Aerospace is a rocket propulsion company offering the TALOS product family of cold propellant rocket engines and thrusters. The portfolio includes the TALOS 10-lbf Attitude Control Thruster (for spacecraft attitude control and flight path adjustments) and the TALOS 150-lbf Axial Thruster (for orbit insertion, lunar descent, and main propulsion). Both thrusters use MON-25/MMH bipropellant, representing the first flight-proven cold propellant engines for deep space exploration missions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TALOS (Thruster for the Advancement of Low-temperature Operation in Space): Cold propellant rocket engine product line, including 10-lbf Attitude Control Thruster and 150-lbf Axial Thruster. The first flight-proven cold propellant engine to use MON-25 propellant.
Products and services
- TALOS 10-lbf Attitude Control Thruster 10-lbf cold propellant thruster for spacecraft attitude control and flight path/altitude adjustments. Uses MON-25/MMH bipropellant, weighs less than 0.34 kg, with pulse response under 10 milliseconds; operates from -40°F to 80°F without conditioning. Sold to NASA, defense agencies, and commercial space companies.
- TALOS 150-lbf Axial Thruster 150-lbf cold propellant axial thruster for orbit insertion, lunar descent, and proximity operations. Weighs 2.7 lbm with demonstrated stable operation from 80°F to -22°F and repeatable 12-millisecond pulses; advances state-of-the-art thrust-to-weight for bipropellant engines. Sold to NASA, defense agencies, and commercial space companies.
- TALOS (Thruster for the Advancement of Low-temperature Operation in Space) product family Family of first flight-proven cold propellant engines using MON-25/MMH bipropellant, encompassing attitude control and axial thrusters optimized for NASA and commercial spacecraft destined for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Available in 10-lbf and 150-lbf thrust classes.
Quantifiable outcome
- First cold propellant thruster ever delivered and used in an exploration mission (TALOS 10-lbf)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Frontier Aerospace
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Frontier Aerospace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Frontier Aerospace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AstroboticcoreSelected by Astrobotic to supply all Attitude Control and Axial Thrusters for Peregrine Lunar Lander under NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). Ongoing relationship with multiple lunar lander contracts.
- ExquadrumminorTeam partner on NASA CLPS plus-up award to implement vacuum test capability. Collaborative development partnership for space propulsion testing.
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)coreAwarded by JPL for extreme cold temperature demonstration. Successfully demonstrated stable hypergolic firing with -40°F propellants - an industry first achievement.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Frontier Aerospace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aerojet Rocketdyne (L3Harris): Largest US liquid rocket propulsion prime, producing thrusters and engines across launch, in-space, and missile defense applications. Directly competes with Frontier in bipropellant engines and missile defense divert-class thrusters.
- SpaceX: Develops in-house Draco and SuperDraco thrusters for Dragon spacecraft using hypergolic propellants. Competes with Frontier for spacecraft attitude control and axial propulsion slots on commercial and government missions.
- Blue Origin: Develops the BE-3U and BE-7 engines for in-space and lunar lander applications, including Blue Moon. Comparable bipropellant cold-class engine work targeting NASA lunar programs.
- Moog Inc. Supplies spacecraft propulsion valves, thrusters, and propellant management systems to NASA, DoD, and commercial primes. Closely comparable in in-space thruster and propellant feed hardware.
Broad incumbents
- Northrop Grumman: Heritage space propulsion franchise (LEROS, Star series engines) supplying thrusters for commercial GEO satellites, NASA missions, and missile defense. Broad incumbent with overlapping in-space propulsion portfolio.
Emerging players
- Rocket Lab: Operates the Curie and HyperCurie in-space engines for its Photon kick stage and Space Systems missions. Comparable in-space thruster portfolio with growing lunar and deep space ambitions.
- Ursa Major Technologies: Develops Hadley and other small liquid rocket engines for launch and in-space propulsion. Adjacent propulsion startup with overlapping cold-class engine development focus.
- Benchmark Space Systems: Specializes in in-space propulsion products including non-toxic bipropellant thrusters for smallsat constellation operators. Directly comparable mission profile to Frontier's attitude control offerings.
- Apollo Fusion (Astra Space): Acquired by Astra to provide in-space propulsion systems for satellite operators. Competes in the commercial spacecraft thruster market adjacent to Frontier's core product family.
- Phase Four: Develops electric (RF thruster) in-space propulsion as an alternative architecture to bipropellant systems like TALOS. Comparable customer base of smallsat and constellation operators, though with a different propulsion technology approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Frontier Aerospace social profiles
Digital presenceFrontier Aerospace compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Frontier Aerospace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Frontier Aerospace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Frontier Aerospace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frontier Aerospace M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Frontier Aerospace
What does Frontier Aerospace do?
Frontier Aerospace designs, manufactures, and qualifies liquid rocket propulsion systems for in-space applications. Its core product is the TALOS family of cold propellant thrusters — including the 10-lbf attitude control thruster and the 150-lbf axial thruster — which burn MON-25/MMH bipropellant and operate across an extreme temperature range (-40°F to 80°F) without conditioning. The company delivers these engines and thrusters under contract to NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, and commercial space customers for lunar landers, deep space missions, and missile defense applications.
Is Frontier Aerospace a public or private company?
Frontier Aerospace is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Frontier Aerospace founded?
Frontier Aerospace was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Frontier Aerospace based?
Frontier Aerospace is headquartered in Simi Valley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Frontier Aerospace make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Rocket Engine and Thruster Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are government Research and Development Contracts and additive Manufacturing Services.
Who are Frontier Aerospace's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aerojet Rocketdyne (L3Harris), SpaceX, Blue Origin and Moog Inc.. Northrop Grumman is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Rocket Lab, Ursa Major Technologies, Benchmark Space Systems, Apollo Fusion (Astra Space) and Phase Four.
Does Frontier Aerospace have an API?
No public API is recorded for Frontier Aerospace.
What industry is Frontier Aerospace in?
Frontier Aerospace's product category is Rocket Propulsion Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAE, Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters, with a secondary code of IMABADAE, Rocket Engines (Liquid). Its NAICS code is 336415 and its SIC code is 3760.