What Space Works does

SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. is a privately held aerospace engineering and technology company founded in 2000 and headquartered at 2960 Brandywine Rd, Suite 200 in Atlanta, Georgia. The company operates a platform-plus-products model spanning four business units: Advanced Development (conceptual and preliminary engineering design services), Defense & Space (entry systems and space-operations hardware), Software (five commercial engineering tools), and Consulting (strategic advisory including the NewSpace Index). It serves U.S. government agencies — NASA, U.S. Space Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, DARPA, U.S. Navy — alongside established aerospace contractors (Boeing, Blue Origin) and NewSpace startups (Astral Materials, Rogue Space Systems, Raven Space Systems, Southern Launch, Watts Innovations). The wholly owned subsidiary Terminal Velocity Aerospace (TVA), reacquired after a prior spin-out, anchors the company's small-spacecraft reentry heritage.

The company's product portfolio is organized across three technology families. The RED (Re-Entry Device) line comprises four hardware products: RED-25 (1-meter, 25 kg payload return capsule with guided parafoil precision landing), RED-Data (sub-50 kg expendable reentry test bed, first flown to ISS in 2017), RED-Rescue (Air-launched Drone Delivery Device for Personnel Recovery Kit delivery at up to Mach 6), and RED-Phoenix (recoverable sub-30 kg hypersonic thermal-materials testbed). The space-operations line includes FuseBlox, a patented (USPTO 11,128,082) TRL-6 androgynous docking and commodity-transfer mechanism with 1120W power and Gigabit Ethernet / MIL-STD-1553 data transfer in a 2U form factor, and the Monopropellant Deorbit Stage (MPDS). The software line includes QuickShot (trajectory optimization), Manta (airbreathing propulsion design), REDTOP (liquid rocket engine design), Cart3D Plus (NASA-origin commercial inviscid CFD), and Kingfisher (store separation analysis with Unreal Engine 5 visualization). Adjacent technology development includes rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) work under DARPA and on-orbit robotic assembly via the ISAAC Phase II SBIR.

SpaceWorks generates revenue through four streams: government R&D contracts (predominantly SBIR/STTR with NASA, USAF, USSF, DARPA), engineering services and consulting to government and commercial clients, recurring annual software licenses (node-locked or site), and hardware commercialization including direct sales and FuseBlox manufacturing licensing. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with active participation in industry conferences (AIAA symposiums) and earned media in aerospace trade publications. Leadership comprises CEO Dr. John Bradford (since 2022), CTO Dr. Brad St. Germain, COO Jon Wallace, CFO Chris Stroumpis, and founder/Chairman Dr. John Olds; the company reports 11-50 employees, 4 payloads launched, 11 flight test campaigns completed, and 15 commercialized products to date.

Name

Space Works

Legal name

SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc.

Website

https://spaceworks.aero

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SpaceWorks Enterprises is a privately held aerospace engineering and technology company founded in 2000, providing concept design, reentry devices, docking systems, and proprietary simulation software to U.S. government agencies, defense primes, and NewSpace startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Engineering and Technology

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reentry, Descent & Landing Systems (Capsules, Heat Shields, Parachutes) (IMABACAL), Space Logistics & In-Orbit Servicing (Refueling, Tug, Debris Removal) (IMABACAM), Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)

Keywords

• Aerospace engineering services
• Reentry vehicle hardware
• Spacecraft docking systems
• Aerospace simulation software
• Hypersonic propulsion research

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering Services and Consulting: SpaceWorks provides advanced concept analysis, systems analysis, rapid prototyping, and economic assessment services to government agencies and commercial clients throughout the program lifecycle.
2. Software Products: Annual renewable licenses for software products including QuickShot, Manta, REDTOP, Cart3D Plus, and Kingfisher. Both node-locked and site licenses available. Software products include ITAR and EAR controlled items.
3. Hardware Products: Commercialization of hardware products including FuseBlox docking connectors (with licensing opportunities), RED reentry devices, and Monopropellant Deorbit Stage. Dual-use product development for defense and commercial markets.
4. Government R&D Contracts: SBIR/STTR contracts with U.S. government agencies including NASA, U.S. Space Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, and DARPA for technology development and demonstration programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SpaceWorks Enterprises provides advanced aerospace concept design, systems analysis, and rapid prototyping services alongside a portfolio of dual-use hardware products (RED reentry devices, FuseBlox docking connectors, MPDS propulsion) and recurring-license engineering software (QuickShot, Manta, REDTOP, Cart3D Plus, Kingfisher). The company delivers these offerings to NASA, U.S. Space Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, DARPA, established aerospace primes, and NewSpace startups under SBIR/STTR contracts and direct commercial engagements.

Product overview

SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. is a diversified aerospace engineering and technology company operating a platform-plus-products architecture. The company offers five distinct software products (QuickShot®, Manta™, REDTOP™, Cart3D Plus, and Kingfisher™) for trajectory optimization, propulsion design, and aerodynamic analysis; four RED (Re-Entry Device) entry system products (RED-25, RED-Data, RED-Rescue, RED-Phoenix) for payload return, material testing, and drone delivery; two space operations products (FuseBlox™ docking system and Monopropellant Deorbit Stage); plus advanced development engineering services and strategic consulting. The portfolio spans from early-phase concept design through rapid prototyping, flight testing, and operational products, serving government agencies, defense contractors, and commercial space companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RED: Re-Entry Device (RED) product line including RED-25 (payload return capsule), RED-Data (material testing), RED-Rescue (air-launched drone delivery), and RED-Phoenix (recoverable hypersonic testbed).
• FuseBlox
• MPDS
• QuickShot
• Manta
• REDTOP
• Cart3D Plus
• Kingfisher
• NewSpace Index
• X-60

Products and services

• QuickShot Trajectory optimization software for aerospace systems design, simulation, optimization, and visualization, featuring a stochastic global optimizer, multidisciplinary design modules (Core, Insight, Branching, 4DOF), multi-vehicle branching analysis, and multi-threaded cross-platform processing. Sold to aerospace engineering teams at primes, government labs, and commercial space companies under annual renewable node-locked or site licenses with 30-day free trial evaluation.
• Manta High-speed airbreathing propulsion design software for ramjet and scramjet engine analysis with component-level modeling (forebody, inlet, isolator, combustor, nozzle), Parabolized Navier-Stokes 3D viscous flow solver, evolutionary algorithm optimization, and multi-threaded processing. Available only to U.S. citizens due to ITAR regulations under annual renewable license.
• REDTOP Liquid rocket engine design and analysis software that supports multiple propellant configurations (monopropellant, bipropellant, cold gas thruster), power balance solution, editable chemical species database, and 3D geometry outputs for system trade-space exploration and design decisions. Released in February 2022 as a cross-platform Java application with GUI.
• Cart3D Plus High-fidelity inviscid CFD software derived from NASA technology for commercial aerospace projects, featuring automated Cartesian mesh generation, adjoint-weighted mesh adaptation, aerodynamic heating analysis, and scalability from workstation to HPC environments. Available under annual renewable license with Linux-based custom MPI builds.
• Kingfisher Store separation analysis and visualization tool designed to assess store release dynamics and evaluate aircraft and crew safety. Combines a high-fidelity 6 degree-of-freedom solver with advanced post-processing, GUI or command-line execution, and SimViz visualization powered by Unreal Engine 5. Released May 2026 under Phase II U.S. Navy SBIR development.
• RED-25 Payload Return Capsule On-demand 1-meter diameter payload return capsule providing low-cost downmass capabilities from Earth orbit for commercial and government customers. Features a 25 kg reconfigurable payload bay, guided parafoil precision landing system, 105 kg mass, and is designed for orbital free-flying, deep space, and interplanetary missions with on-demand return to anywhere in the contiguous United States.
• RED-Data Reentry Test Bed Small, affordable expendable reentry device for high-Mach material and sensor testing. Dimensions 48x48x38 cm, mass less than 50 kg, capable of testing thermal protection systems at Mach 25, with 10+ onboard sensors, autonomous operation, and aerodynamic stability. Three units successfully flew to ISS and re-entered in 2017, exceeding AFRL test specifications.
• RED-Rescue Air-Launched Drone Delivery Device (AD3) Air-launched Drone Delivery Device (AD3) for global autonomous delivery of Personnel Recovery Kits. Capable of deployment from speeds up to Mach 6, delivers up to 50 lbs payload, operates in GPS-denied environments with evasive maneuverability and precise final-mile delivery for downed Airmen, search and rescue, and disaster relief. Demonstrated via helicopter flight test in March 2022.
• RED-Phoenix Recoverable Hypersonic Testbed Recoverable unpowered ballistic hypersonic testbed for thermal materials R&D. Gross mass less than 30 kg, replicates reentry and hypersonic cruise trajectories with nose heating conditions exceeding 1000 W/cm², includes supersonic decelerator and parachute for recovery, and is compatible with low-cost booster options.
• FuseBlox Docking and Commodity Transfer Device Patented TRL-6 spacecraft docking and commodity transfer device (Patent 11,128,082) with a self-aligning, androgynous, reversible design enabling near-zero momentum transfer docking in a compact 2U form factor. Transfers 1120W nominal/1500W maximum power and supports Gigabit Ethernet (high mode) and MIL-STD-1553 (low mode) data transfer, enabling power and data connectivity for on-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (OSAM). License available for qualified manufacturers.
• Mono-propellant Deorbit Stage (MPDS) High-thrust chemical propulsion stage using eco-friendly green mono-propellant (a hydrazine alternative) for affordable in-space maneuvering and deorbit, providing mission-enabling delta-V with low impulse bit, on-board power, and communications. Expendable liquid stage supporting orbital debris cleanup, satellite servicing, orbit raising, and private space station missions.
• Advanced Development Engineering Services Conceptual and preliminary engineering design services spanning multidisciplinary design optimization, aerospace structures and mechanisms, trajectory optimization, aerodynamic modeling, entry/descent/landing, flight dynamics, propulsion, thermal analysis, systems engineering, and cost estimation. Serves U.S. government agencies (NASA, DoD) and commercial clients throughout the program lifecycle.
• Consulting and Strategic Advisory Services Strategic advisory services for the aerospace sector including independent review and red team support, quantitative business case modeling, due diligence and M&A advisory, and the SpaceWorks NewSpace Index performance reference benchmark for publicly-traded NewSpace companies. Delivered through SpaceWorks' Commercial Advisory team.

Quantifiable outcome

• RED-25 precision landing within one football field of intended target location
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Southern LaunchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026SpaceWorks announced agreement with Southern Launch, Australia's premier space mission service provider, to provide landing and recovery services for RED reentry capsule missions at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia. First recovery operation will support the Commercial Orbital System for Microgravity Crystallization (COSMIC) demonstration mission, funded by NASA TechLeap Prize and NASA SBIR Phase III contract.
• AIAA Carolina SectionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 February 2026SpaceWorks participated in AIAA Carolina Aerospace Symposium hosted by UNC Charlotte, joining major aerospace companies including Boeing, Blue Origin, and Honda Aircraft to reinforce regional aerospace innovation through industry-academic collaboration.
• Astral MaterialscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2026Partnership with Astral Materials for COSMIC (Commercial Orbital System for Microgravity In-Space Crystallization) demonstration mission combining SpaceWorks reentry system expertise with Astral Materials' in-space manufacturing technologies. Mission scheduled for 2027 launch on Momentus Vigoride vehicle.
• Motiv Space SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2025Collaboration with Motiv Space Systems, a leader in space robotics, to facilitate ground-based autonomous assembly demonstration of ISAAC prototype under U.S. Space Force Phase II SBIR contract for on-orbit robotic assembly truss system development.
• Rogue Space SystemsmajorTechnology or Integration · 28 January 2025Hosting agreement for FuseBlox docking technology on Rogue Space Systems' OTP-3 mission, advancing in-space servicing and assembly capabilities demonstration.
• Raven Space SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Collaboration with Raven Space Systems and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on $1.8M STTR Phase II contract to develop 3D-printed reentry aeroshells for hypersonic flight testing using automated composite 3D printing technology for thermal protection systems.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Varda Space Industries: Commercial space company building autonomous reentry vehicles to return in-space-manufactured products to Earth. Varda is the most direct competitive overlap with SpaceWorks' RED-25 payload return capsule and the broader commercial payload-return thesis.
• Redwire Space (formerly Made In Space): Provides in-space manufacturing, robotic assembly, and space infrastructure components. Directly comparable to SpaceWorks' ISAAC truss, FuseBlox, and in-space servicing/assembly focus, and a likely competitor in OSAM (On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) programs.
• Impulse Space: In-space transportation provider offering orbital transfer and deorbit services via its Mira and Lander vehicles. Direct overlap with SpaceWorks' Monopropellant Deorbit Stage (MPDS) in the satellite servicing and end-of-life deorbit market.
• Stratolaunch: Operates the Talon-A and related hypersonic testbed platforms under the Stratolaunch / Roc carrier aircraft. SpaceWorks is literally sharing a $1.7M NASA hypersonic flight testing award with Stratolaunch (2026), making it both a partner and the closest peer in reusable hypersonic test infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Dawn Aerospace: NewSpace company developing reusable spaceplanes and green-propellant propulsion, including small-sat launch and reentry-class technologies. Comparable in scope and stage to SpaceWorks' RED family and MPDS, but focused on launch/upmass rather than downmass.

Broad incumbents

• Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI, now Ansys Government Initiatives): Long-standing leader in aerospace mission analysis, trajectory optimization (STK), and systems engineering software. Competes head-to-head with SpaceWorks' QuickShot trajectory optimization tool in the same aerospace engineering persona.
• Aerojet Rocketdyne (L3Harris): Large prime propulsion manufacturer covering liquid rocket engines, monopropellant thrusters, and in-space propulsion. Directly relevant to SpaceWorks' MPDS product line, though operating at far greater scale and incumbency.
• Moog Inc. Established supplier of precision motion control, docking interfaces, and spacecraft mechanisms. Most directly comparable to SpaceWorks' FuseBlox docking product and broader space operations portfolio.
• Phantom Works (Boeing): Boeing's advanced R&D and concept design division, which competes for many of the same NASA, AFRL, and DARPA programs as SpaceWorks. Relevant as an established incumbent that purchases SpaceWorks services and is a potential partner/competitor on hypersonic and spacecraft programs.

Peers

• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: Mid-size defense contractor with hypersonic test target systems (e.g., BQM-177, XQ-58), propulsion work, and space products. Comparable to SpaceWorks' RED-Phoenix hypersonic testbed, RDRE propulsion work, and overall DoD SBIR/contract-driven business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SpaceworksSEI
• Facebookfacebook.com/164844090248650
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spaceworks-enterprises-inc-sei

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Space Works