Caltech Air and Outer Space

What Caltech Air and Outer Space does

Caltech Air and Outer Space (CAOS) is a student-led aerospace engineering organization at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, founded around 2020–2021. The organization runs four concurrent technical projects targeting lunar exploration and surface operations: PILLARS, a plume-deployed inflatable structure intended to mitigate lunar dust lofted during spacecraft launches and landings; CRATER, a modular rover featuring a robotic arm and autonomous GPS-enabled navigation with onboard analysis; LATTICE, a self-deploying robotic infrastructure for transporting cargo across the lunar terrain inside craters, structured as a multi-university and industry endeavor supporting NASA's ARTEMIS program; and HOMES, a configurable electrodynamic dust shield for lunar habitats that achieved Technology Readiness Level 5 within roughly one year and was selected as a finalist in NASA's 2021 BIG Idea Lunar Dust Challenge. PILLARS subsequently reached the finalist stage of NASA's 2024 BIG Idea Challenge and was presented at the BIG Idea Forum in November 2024.

CAOS does not sell products or services and operates as a non-commercial, non-profit student entity. Its funding consists entirely of sponsorships from Caltech, the Division of Engineering and Applied Science (EAS), and GALCIT (the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology). The organization is supported by faculty advisors including Soon-Jo Chung and has drawn endorsements from figures such as former JPL Director Dr. Charles Elachi. Its constituency is Caltech students seeking hands-on aerospace engineering experience, technical leadership opportunities, and pathways to careers in the aerospace sector, with cross-disciplinary involvement from mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computational disciplines across both undergraduate and graduate student ranks.

As a student organization rather than a commercial venture, CAOS's "customers" are better understood as its sponsors and the students it serves. Its growth path is oriented toward expanding project scope, deepening industry partnerships through LATTICE, and increasing external visibility via the NASA BIG Idea program and its recently refreshed website and LinkedIn presence. The organization does not generate revenue from operations, does not hold equity, and does not employ traditional full-time staff, which constrains direct comparability to venture-stage aerospace companies but does not diminish the technical and reputational signals represented by two NASA challenge finalist selections within a four-year window.

Name

Caltech Air and Outer Space

Legal name

Caltech Air and Outer Space

Website

https://caos.caltech.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Caltech Air and Outer Space (CAOS) is a student-led Caltech organization developing four lunar exploration projects (PILLARS, CRATER, LATTICE, HOMES). It is sponsored by Caltech, EAS, and GALCIT, and serves Caltech students seeking hands-on aerospace engineering experience; it does not sell products and has no commercial revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Engineering Research

NAICS

Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMABACAF

Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing/Spacecraft & Launch Vehicle Manufacturing

Keywords

• Aerospace engineering research
• Lunar exploration systems
• Lunar dust mitigation
• Robotic lunar infrastructure
• Student aerospace club

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Funding: CAOS is a student-led club that receives operational funding through business partnerships and sponsorships. Sponsors enable the organization to purchase space-grade materials and access testing facilities. The organization does not generate revenue from product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Caltech Air and Outer Space (CAOS) is a student-led aerospace engineering research organization at Caltech that develops and prototypes lunar exploration hardware systems. The club operates four distinct research projects: PILLARS (inflatable regolith shield for lunar launch/landing), CRATER (modular rover for extreme environments), LATTICE (self-deploying robotic lunar infrastructure for cargo transport), and HOMES (configurable electodynamic dust shield for lunar habitats). The organization is funded by sponsorships and provides hands-on engineering experience to Caltech students rather than selling commercial products.

Product overview

Caltech Air and Outer Space (CAOS) is a student-led aerospace engineering research organization that operates as a portfolio of distinct technical projects rather than a unified commercial product. The organization develops four primary aerospace systems: PILLARS (a plume-deployed inflatable dust shield for lunar launch/landing operations), CRATER (a modular rover with autonomous navigation and sample collection capabilities for extreme environments), LATTICE (a self-deploying robotic infrastructure system for lunar crater cargo transportation supporting ARTEMIS missions), and HOMES (a configurable electodynamic dust mitigation solution for lunar habitats). These projects collectively address lunar surface operations challenges including dust mitigation, robotic exploration, and permanent infrastructure development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PILLARS: Plume Deployed Inflatable for Launch/Landing Abrasive Regolith Shielding — a project awarded as a finalist of the 2024 BIG Idea Challenge for lunar dust mitigation during rocket launches and landings.
• CRATER
• LATTICE
• HOMES

Products and services

• PILLARS Plume Deployed Inflatable for Launch/Landing Abrasive Regolith Shielding. A dust mitigation system designed to protect equipment and habitats from abrasive lunar regolith kicked up during rocket launches and landings. The system uses inflatable technology deployed in the plume of rocket engines.
• CRATER A modular rover system designed to robustly interface with other robotics systems to perform complex mission operations in extreme environments. Features remote operation from 2km distance, high-precision robotic arm tasks, rock and soil sample collection with on-board analysis, and autonomous GPS navigation.
• LATTICE A modular, self-deploying robotic infrastructure system for transportation of cargo through lunar craters. Developed as a multi-university and industry endeavor to create sustainable permanent lunar infrastructure supporting ARTEMIS and commercial moon missions.
• HOMES Habitat, Orientable and Modular Electodynamic Shield. A configurable electodynamic dust mitigation solution for lunar habitats, validated to TRL 5 in one year. CAOS's first technical project.

Quantifiable outcome

• NASA BIG Idea Challenge finalist recognition in 2024 and 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NASA BIG Idea ChallengecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024PILLARS project selected as finalist for the 2024 NASA BIG Idea Challenge. The team is developing an innovative solution for mitigating lunar dust during rocket launches and landings, with presentation scheduled at the BIG Idea Forum in November 2024. This represents a significant research collaboration with NASA's exploration objectives.
• NASA BIG Idea Lunar Dust ChallengecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021HOMES project, CAOS's first technical project, was awarded as finalist for the 2021 NASA BIG Idea Lunar Dust Challenge. The team designed and validated the dust mitigation technology to TRL 5 in one year, demonstrating rapid innovation capability.
• ARTEMIS ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLATTICE project is being developed specifically to support the upcoming ARTEMIS missions and commercial lunar missions. The project has evolved into a multi-university and industry endeavor focused on creating sustainable permanent lunar infrastructure.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• MIT Space Systems Laboratory: MIT's Space Systems Laboratory is a university aerospace research group developing spacecraft, robotics, and mission concepts. Directly comparable as a peer university aerospace organization engaged in student-led space systems research.
• Stanford Space Rendezvous Laboratory (SLAB): Stanford SLAB conducts research on autonomous spacecraft, robotics, and on-orbit/lunar operations. Comparable to CAOS as a peer university research group in advanced aerospace autonomy and robotics.

Direct peers

• ispace: ispace develops lunar landers and rovers (HAKUTO-R) for commercial and government missions, with active work on lunar surface mobility and payload delivery. It is directly comparable to CAOS on rover/mobility and lunar surface systems, though operating as a well-funded commercial entity rather than a student club.
• Astrobotic Technology: Astrobotic is a Carnegie Mellon University spinout developing lunar landers, rovers (CubeRover), and surface systems for NASA CLPS missions. It is the closest direct comparable to CAOS's CRATER modular rover and LATTICE infrastructure concepts, and similarly bridges university aerospace research with commercial lunar delivery.
• Firefly Aerospace: Firefly is developing the Blue Ghost lunar lander for NASA CLPS, with related work on lunar surface systems. It overlaps CAOS on the lunar surface mission domain and shares the 'developing credible hardware for NASA lunar programs' theme.
• Intuitive Machines: Intuitive Machines builds lunar landers (Nova-C) and surface systems under NASA CLPS contracts and is commercializing university-rooted lunar navigation and mobility IP. Comparable to CAOS on lunar surface mission architectures and on the trajectory from university research to commercial lunar provider.

Emerging players

• Masten Space Systems: Masten develops lunar landers and surface systems (including Xoie/Masten systems tied to CLPS awards). Comparable to CAOS on lunar landing and surface access, though operating at a more advanced stage of commercial development.
• Moon Express: Moon Express is developing commercial lunar landers and surface systems. Comparable to CAOS as a small/emerging commercial player in lunar surface access and payload delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Origin: Blue Origin develops launch vehicles and is positioning for lunar lander and surface systems work (Blue Moon). It is a broad incumbent in lunar access with overlapping interest in dust mitigation, infrastructure, and surface operations where CAOS is innovating.
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL): JPL, managed by Caltech, develops spacecraft, rovers, and lunar systems with deep technical overlap to CAOS's portfolio (e.g., dust mitigation analogs of lunar surface tech, modular robotics). It is the closest large institutional peer and the source of CAOS's most credible external endorsement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caltech-caos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Caltech Air and Outer Space