Aerospace Fabrication

What Aerospace Fabrication does

Aerospace Fabrication & Materials, LLC (AFM), founded in 1999 and headquartered in Farmington, Minnesota, designs and manufactures passive thermal control products — primarily multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets — for aerospace primes, NASA, and cryogenic equipment manufacturers. The company's technology base is in thin-film material science, including vacuum deposition, lamination, and specialty fabrications, with proprietary branded product families split between space applications (AstraWrap, AstraWrap HT, AstraPair, AstraLam, AstraLoft, AstraTape) and cryogenic applications (PolaWrap, PolaPair, PolaTape, PolaLam). Core products include MLI blankets, MMOD (micrometeoroid and orbital debris) shields, radiators/solar reflectors, sun shields up to 3 meters, high-temperature plume shields rated to 1,000°C, cryogenic superinsulation for tanks and HTS cabling, and custom soft goods including Gossamer inflatable structures.

The business operates a project-based, build-to-print and design-to-fit manufacturing model. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific under multi-year contracts, with all engagements handled through direct technical sales engagement rather than distribution channels. The company sells globally, with named customers including Boeing (Starliner, 100+ MLI blankets with on-site installation), NASA (SLS Liquid Oxygen and Helium tanks, Artemis I rocket nozzle components), SES (SES-20 and SES-21 GEO comsats), Teledyne Brown Engineering (ISS MUSES platform), Redwire (iROSA solar arrays), Nanoracks (ISS CubeSat deployers), and ULA (Atlas V integration). Production runs out of over 4,000 sq ft of ISO Class 7 cleanrooms supported by CNC cutting, cryogenic testing via a NASA-built Cryostat-200, CO2 precision cleaning, vacuum bakeout to NASA SPR-0022A standards, and high-temperature bakeout facilities. The 2023 expansion doubled manufacturing capacity.

Aerospace Fabrication holds ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certifications continuously since founding, and maintains materials certifications to NASA SPR-0022A (TML <1.0%, CVCM <0.1%) per ASTM E-595/E-1260, with precision cleaning meeting IEST-STD-CC1246. These certifications, combined with mission-proven flight heritage on the ISS, Boeing Starliner, NASA SLS/Artemis I, GEO comsats, and lunar/planetary missions, position the company as a qualified, low-risk supplier to aerospace primes and government programs. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the firm remains privately held, founder/management-owned, with no institutional investors identified.

Name

Aerospace Fabrication

Legal name

Aerospace Fabrication & Materials, LLC

Website

https://aerospacefab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Aerospace Fabrication & Materials designs and manufactures multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets and passive thermal control products for aerospace primes, NASA, and cryogenic equipment manufacturers, serving spacecraft, launch vehicles, and cryogenic storage applications globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Thermal Control Products

NAICS

Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Aircraft & Parts (3720), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerospace Thermal Management, Insulation & Fire Protection Materials (IMABANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control (IMABACAF)

Keywords

• Multilayer insulation blankets
• Passive thermal control
• Cryogenic superinsulation
• Aerospace thermal management
• MLI spacecraft blankets

Headquarters

HQ city

Farmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom MLI Blankets and Thermal Control Products: Design, manufacture, and sale of custom multilayer insulation blankets and passive thermal control products for aerospace and cryogenic applications. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements ranging from engineering-intensive design-to-fit to build-to-print manufacturing.
2. Specialty Materials: Sale of proprietary insulation materials including PolaWrap, AstraWrap, PolaPair, PolaTape, and PolaLam for use in cryogenic and aerospace applications.
3. Field Services and Installation: On-site installation, fit checks, modifications, and consultation services for thermal control systems at client facilities.
4. Testing and Processing Services: Cryogenic testing, precision cleaning (CO2 snow), vacuum bakeout, and high-temperature bakeout services offered as standalone or integrated with product delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aerospace Fabrication designs, manufactures, and installs custom Multilayer Insulation (MLI) blankets and passive thermal control products for spacecraft, launch vehicles, and cryogenic applications. The company also produces specialty cryogenic superinsulation materials (PolaWrap, PolaPair, PolaTape, PolaLam) and aerospace MLI systems (AstraWrap, AstraWrap HT), along with complementary services including precision cleaning, cryogenic testing, vacuum bakeout, high-temperature bakeout, and on-site field installation.

Product overview

Aerospace Fabrication & Materials offers a comprehensive portfolio of passive thermal control products for aerospace and cryogenic applications, centered around Multilayer Insulation (MLI) blankets and superinsulation systems. The core product line includes MLI blankets for spacecraft, launch vehicles, and instruments, complemented by MMOD shields, radiators, sun shields, and high-temperature plume shields. Supporting the blanket products are specialty material sub-brands: PolaPair™, PolaTape™, PolaWrap™, and PolaLam™ for cryogenic applications; and AstraWrap™ and AstraWrap™ HT (rebranded from SpaceWrap™) for aerospace applications. The company provides design-to-fit and build-to-print manufacturing services with complementary offerings including precision cleaning (CO2 snow cleaning), cryogenic testing, vacuum bakeout, high-temperature bakeout, and on-site field installation services. The product architecture consists of core thermal insulation products supplemented by specialty materials that customers can use to build their own layups, with full engineering and installation support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AstraWrap: Custom prefabricated layup of multilayer insulation for aerospace applications. Features ultra-thin polyester film with aluminum coating on both sides, separated by low-conducting polyester netting. Used for satellites, launch vehicles, space stations, deep space probes, and lunar/planetary landers.
• AstraWrap HT
• AstraTape
• PolaLam
• PolaPair
• PolaTape
• PolaWrap
• AstraLam
• AstraLoft
• AstraPair

Products and services

• Multilayer Insulation (MLI) Blankets Passive thermal control blankets providing insulation to spacecraft, launch vehicles, and instruments in vacuum using multiple layers of thin reflectors and spacer materials.
• MMOD Shields

Quantifiable outcome

• Products deployed on spacecraft in orbit around Earth and on several celestial bodies in the solar system
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• APPRO Development, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 November 2022Design-build firm engaged for the 13,333 square foot building addition construction project at the Farmington Industrial Park location. APPRO Development and sister company CERRON Commercial Properties have provided commercial and industrial property solutions since 1987.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dunmore Aerospace: Dunmore Aerospace manufactures metallized films, MLI blankets, and thermal control materials for spacecraft and cryogenic applications. It is one of the closest direct competitors to AFM in thin-film-based aerospace insulation, with overlapping customer base among commercial satellite primes and NASA programs.
• ILC Dover: ILC Dover designs and fabricates soft goods, inflatable space structures, and MLI thermal protection systems for NASA, commercial space, and defense customers. Directly comparable to AFM's MLI blanket, custom soft goods, and Gossamer/space-deployment product lines.
• Sheldahl (a Flexcon company): Sheldahl, now part of Flexcon, produces metallized films and MLI materials used in spacecraft thermal control and flexible electronics. Long-standing competitor to AFM in the vacuum-deposited thin-film and MLI substrate market.
• Webb Industries: Webb Industries supplies cryogenic insulation, MLI blankets, and thermal control products for aerospace, defense, and industrial cryogenic applications. A direct peer to AFM in the cryogenic superinsulation segment, particularly for liquid hydrogen, LNG, and space launch applications.

Broad incumbents

• Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space): Beyond Gravity is a large European-headquartered supplier of thermal insulation, structures, and mechanisms for spacecraft and launch vehicles. It competes with AFM on MLI blankets for institutional European and commercial satellite programs, but at significantly larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman produces spacecraft thermal control systems across its space and missile systems businesses, including MLI for government and commercial satellites. Represents both a potential customer (as a prime that may buy MLI subsystems) and a competitor that could insource MLI production.
• Lockheed Martin Space: Lockheed Martin's space business designs and integrates thermal control systems for Orion, satellites, and missile defense platforms. Operates internal MLI production capabilities that compete with AFM, particularly on large NASA and DoD programs.
• Ball Aerospace: Ball Aerospace (now BAE Systems) designs and manufactures spacecraft including thermal control subsystems, with internal MLI and blanket production capabilities. Competes with AFM on civil and defense space missions and represents a potential vertical-integration threat.
• Triumph Group: Triumph Group's aerospace structures and thermal/acoustic insulation businesses produce engineered thermal products for commercial and military aerospace. Overlaps with AFM on thermal blanket and acoustic/thermal insulation product categories at much larger scale.
• Senior plc: Senior plc's aerospace division manufactures thermal management and fluid conveyance products for aircraft and spacecraft, including engineered insulation systems. Comparable to AFM in aerospace thermal product manufacturing but with a much broader portfolio and global footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/llc_aerospace

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Aerospace Fabrication