Rocketstar
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Rocketstar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rocketstar
- Legal name
- RocketStar Inc.
- Website
- https://rocketstar.nyc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rocketstar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Space Propulsion Systems
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets (IMABACAA), Rocket Engines (Liquid) (IMABADAE), Rocket Engines (Solid) (IMABADAF)
Keywords
Where Rocketstar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rocketstar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Electric Propulsion Hardware Sales: Sale of FireStar Foundation and Fusion Drive thrusters to satellite operators and spacecraft manufacturers. Hardware products are sold directly with delivery timelines specified.
- DSP Software Licensing: Phoenix Eye suite of digital signal processing software products licensed to military, space, and critical infrastructure customers. Software includes SignalBoost, SignalPrint, SyncWave, OmniPNT, and WhisperHunter.
- Launch Services: Aerospike engine-powered rocket launch services using the Cowbell suborbital rocket from Cape Canaveral, targeting satellite payload delivery and testing.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Rocketstar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RocketStar develops and sells electric propulsion hardware (FireStar Fusion Drive and FireStar Foundation Drive pulsed plasma thrusters), digital signal processing software (Phoenix Eye suite for LPI/D communications, signal fingerprinting, ESA processing, and GPS-denied navigation), and a patent-pending Aerospike reusable rocket engine. Products are sold to satellite operators, spacecraft manufacturers, military and defense agencies, and commercial space launch customers.
Product overview
RocketStar offers two core technology platforms: the FireStar electric propulsion family and the Phoenix Eye digital signal processing suite. The FireStar line includes the Foundation Drive (water-fueled pulsed plasma thruster) and the Fusion Drive (nuclear fusion-enhanced version achieving 50% thrust improvement). The Phoenix Eye suite comprises four DSP software modules: SignalBoost (LPI/D communications), SignalPrint (transmitter fingerprinting), SyncWave (ESA enhancement), and OmniPNT (GPS-denied navigation), all using AI for advanced signal processing. Additionally, the company is developing Aerospike rocket engines for reusable launch vehicles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FireStar™ Fusion Drive: World's first electric propulsion device enhanced with nuclear fusion, utilizing aneutronic nuclear fusion with boron to achieve 50% improvement in thrust performance compared to the Foundation thruster.
- FireStar™ Foundation Drive
- Phoenix Eye™
- Aerospike Engine
- Cowbell Rocket
Products and services
- FireStar Fusion Drive World's first fusion-enhanced electric space thruster that uses aneutronic nuclear fusion by introducing boron into the exhaust of a water-fueled pulsed plasma thruster, achieving a 50% thrust improvement over the base Foundation thruster.
- FireStar Foundation Drive Water-fueled pulsed plasma thruster (M1.5 form factor, 1U envelope) for satellite and spacecraft maneuvering. Delivers 17.2 mN thrust, 7,300 sec Isp, and 4,620 m/s delta V for 4kg 3U spacecraft. Uses safe, non-toxic water propellant for orbit raising, phasing, de-orbit, drag makeup, reaction wheel desaturation, and attitude control.
- Phoenix Eye DSP Software Suite Digital signal processing software suite licensed to military, space, and critical infrastructure customers. Provides Low Probability of Intercept/Detect (LPI/D) tactical communications, electronic transmitter fingerprinting, Electronically Scanned Antenna (ESA) signal combination without grating lobes, and Alternative Positioning, Navigation & Timing (APNT) for GPS-denied environments using celestial radio sources.
- Aerospike Engine Patent-pending reusable rocket engine that provides 25-35% more thrust than conventional bell cone engines, enables thrust vectoring via individually controlled combustion chambers, and allows rockets to be reused within two weeks for single-stage-to-orbit missions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% thrust improvement over FireStar Foundation thruster
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Rocketstar
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rocketstar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature7 records
Rocketstar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Miles Space Inc.coreRocketStar acquired Miles Space Inc. in March 2024 to expand capabilities in space propulsion and communications. Miles Space founder Wes Faler joined RocketStar as CTO, bringing the ConstantQ thruster technology and expertise in digital communications software.
- D-OrbitcoreCollaboration to demonstrate FireStar Foundation thruster on D-Orbit's proprietary OTV ION Satellite Carrier. Thruster scheduled to fly on two SpaceX Transporter missions in July and October 2024 to prove performance in space.
- Rogue Space SystemscorePartnership to demonstrate FireStar Fusion Drive on Rogue Space Systems' Barry-2 spacecraft scheduled for in-space testing in February 2025.
- AFWERXcoreSBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) funding from AFWERX enabled the initial discovery of fusion-enhanced propulsion technology. This validation was independently confirmed by University of New Mexico.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Rocketstar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Phase Four: Phase Four develops RF thrusters for small satellites, competing directly with RocketStar's FireStar product line in the electric propulsion for LEO smallsat market. Like RocketStar, Phase Four targets satellite operators needing efficient, non-chemical propulsion for orbit raising and station-keeping.
- Accion Systems: Accion Systems produces electrospray propulsion for small satellites, directly overlapping with RocketStar's FireStar value proposition of compact, non-toxic propulsion for cubesats and smallsats. Both target constellation operators with limited-volume, low-power propulsion requirements.
- ThrustMe: ThrustMe is a European electric propulsion company developing iodine- and solid-propellant thrusters for smallsats. Its product portfolio (e.g., NPT30, I2T5) directly competes with FireStar Foundation and Fusion Drives for smallsat propulsion customers.
- Morpheus Space: Morpheus Space offers nano-satellite electric propulsion products (e.g., NanoProp CGP), serving the same smallsat operator customer base as RocketStar's FireStar line. Both target orbit raising, de-orbit, and constellation management use cases.
- Momentus: Momentus provides in-space transportation services using its Vigoride orbital transfer vehicle and Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET), directly comparable to RocketStar's propulsion-plus-launch-services positioning. Both target satellite operators needing last-mile delivery and orbit adjustment.
Broad incumbents
- Rocket Lab: Rocket Lab is a publicly traded launch and space systems company with the Electron/Neutron launch vehicles and the Sinclair spacecraft bus (with in-house propulsion). It is a broad incumbent relevant to RocketStar across launch services, in-space propulsion, and spacecraft manufacturing.
- Astra Space: Astra developed launch vehicles (Rocket 3, Rocket 4) and acquired Apollo Fusion for electric propulsion, broadly overlapping with RocketStar across launch services and smallsat propulsion. Relevant as a scaled competitor across multiple of RocketStar's product lines.
Others
- D-Orbit: D-Orbit operates the ION Satellite Carrier for in-space transportation and is also a RocketStar flight-test partner. It is adjacent (rather than directly competing) as a downstream platform customer that integrates RocketStar's FireStar thrusters.
Emerging players
- CesiumAstro: CesiumAstro builds software-defined phased-array communication payloads and platforms for space and defense, partially overlapping with RocketStar's Phoenix Eye DSP suite in communications and signal processing for satellites and defense users.
- HawkEye 360: HawkEye 360 operates a constellation for RF signal geolocation and analytics serving defense and intelligence customers, adjacent to RocketStar's Phoenix Eye SignalBoost/SignalPrint capabilities around RF detection and emitter identification.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rocketstar social profiles
Digital presenceRocketstar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rocketstar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Rocketstar subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Rocketstar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rocketstar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rocketstar
What does Rocketstar do?
RocketStar develops and sells electric propulsion hardware (FireStar Fusion Drive and FireStar Foundation Drive pulsed plasma thrusters), digital signal processing software (Phoenix Eye suite for LPI/D communications, signal fingerprinting, ESA processing, and GPS-denied navigation), and a patent-pending Aerospike reusable rocket engine. Products are sold to satellite operators, spacecraft manufacturers, military and defense agencies, and commercial space launch customers.
Is Rocketstar a public or private company?
Rocketstar is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Rocketstar founded?
Rocketstar was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rocketstar based?
Rocketstar is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rocketstar make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Electric Propulsion Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are DSP Software Licensing and launch Services.
Who are Rocketstar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Phase Four, Accion Systems, ThrustMe, Morpheus Space and Momentus. Broad incumbents are Rocket Lab and Astra Space. D-Orbit is listed as an others. Emerging players are CesiumAstro and HawkEye 360.
Does Rocketstar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rocketstar.
What industry is Rocketstar in?
Rocketstar's product category is Space Propulsion Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAE, Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters, with a secondary code of IMABACAA, Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets. Its NAICS code is 336415 and its SIC code is 3760.