Rocket Crafters, a manufacturer of advanced rockets operating from the Florida Space Coast, and RUAG Space, a leading independent product supplier for spacecraft, electronics and launchers, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Satellite Conference 2019 in Washington D.C. last week - creating a new supplier agreement in the small launcher market.

Rocket Crafters will collaborate with RUAG on the design, development and procurement of a sounding rocket guidance and navigation system, nose cone and aeroshell in order to support an initial test flight, with the goal to achieve reliable, cost effective and fast time-to-market.

 “RUAG Space is a natural fit for Rocket Crafters. They bring to the table their world-class expertise with flight structures, guidance, and avionics to complement our revolutionary STAR-3DTM hybrid rocket engines. With their support, we will rapidly prototype our suborbital test rocket, gaining valuable flight heritage on our motors and quickly evolving into our Intrepid-1 small satellite launch vehicle,” said Robert Fabian, President of Rocket Crafters.

“With this agreement we continue to grow and position ourselves in the small launcher market. This market segment is on the rise, and with our flexible product range, we have a lot to offer our customers,” said Peter Guggenbach, CEO of RUAG Space.

In addition, both parties recognize future business prospects based on Rocket Crafters’ Intrepid launch vehicle to serve the increasing world market launch service demand for small satellites launch. Rocket Crafters has identified RUAG Space as the ideal partner for carbon composite structure for payload fairings and aeroshells, as well as RUAG’s avionics, payload adapters and separation systems for future missions of Rocket Crafters planned Intrepid-1 small satellite launch vehicle.

RUAG Space has been expanding its business in the small launcher market in recent years and this partnership seeks to extend that impact in the small launcher market. 

Rocket Crafters, operating out of Florida’s Space Coast, is working to revolutionize space access with its patent-pending STAR-3DTM hybrid rocket engines. Those engines (Safe, Throttlable, Affordable, Reliable, and 3D printed – STAR-3DTM) will power Rocket Crafters’ Intrepid-1 small satellite launch vehicle, providing dedicated on-demand launch to small satellites into Low Earth Orbit.

 RUAG Space is the leading supplier to the space industry in Europe, with a growing presence in the United States. With more than 1,300 staff across six countries, it develops and manufactures products for satellites and launch vehicles – playing a key role both in the institutional and commercial space market. RUAG Space is a division of the international technology Group RUAG.

 RUAG develops and markets internationally sought-after technology applications in the fields of aerospace and defense for use on land, in the air and in space. RUAG generates sales of approximately CHF 1.96 billion and has over 9,200 employees – 400 of whom are trainees.