Nucleus Aerospace develops test rocket platforms to validate structural components, electronics, and ground‑communication systems for sub‑orbital flight. 6 Mach and 8 km altitude, while smaller rockets like T2P and Curie I conduct lower‑speed, lower‑altitude tests, and a high‑altitude balloon (HAB) supports payload experiments up to 40 km.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Developing sub‑orbital launch vehicles requires extensive validation of structural components, avionics, and ground‑communication systems under realistic flight conditions. Traditional testing often relies on expensive, full‑scale launch attempts or static ground tests that cannot fully replicate dynamic aerodynamic and thermal loads. This limits the speed and cost‑effectiveness of progressing from prototype to operational capability.
Solution
Nucleus Aerospace offers a family of purpose‑built test rockets and a high‑altitude balloon platform that enable incremental, flight‑realistic validation of hardware and software for sub‑orbital missions. The EXOS‑A vehicle delivers supersonic flight at 1.6 Mach to 8 km altitude, providing a high‑speed environment for structural and electronic testing while verifying ground‑station communication links. Smaller rockets such as T2P and Curie I conduct lower‑speed, lower‑altitude flights to evaluate early‑stage components and safety‑critical systems. The HAB balloon reaches up to 40 km, offering a stratospheric testbed for payload experiments, environmental measurements, and modular payload integration. By combining these reusable test platforms, Nucleus Aerospace accelerates data collection, reduces reliance on full‑scale launches, and supports an iterative development pathway toward operational sub‑orbital launch capability.
Target Audience
Primary customers are aerospace manufacturers, satellite launch service providers, and research institutions that need cost‑effective, flight‑realistic testing of rocket structures, avionics, and communication systems for sub‑orbital applications.
Features
- EXOS‑A test vehicle: 2.6 m length, 18 kg mass, 1.6 Mach speed, 8 km apogee, 3.5 kN thrust, 176 m/s² acceleration, parachute‑based recovery
- T2P rocket: 0.7 Mach ascent to 1.5 km, 107 m/s² acceleration, designed for component and ground‑initiation system testing
- Curie I series: early‑stage test rockets with 211 m/s² acceleration, three successful test flights providing baseline data for future designs
- High‑Altitude Balloon (HAB): stratospheric flights up to 40 km, modular payload bay for diverse experiments, environmental sensing, and visual documentation
- Integrated telemetry and ground‑station verification on each platform to ensure reliable communication during flight and descent
- Iterative development framework that reuses flight data to refine designs, reduce risk, and shorten the timeline to operational sub‑orbital launches