Cumulative SBIR/STTR awards (RDRE/RBCC propulsion development)
Cumulative U.S. government SBIR/STTR awards to Venus Aerospace: STTR Phase I 2021 ($50,000), STTR Phase II 2021 ($746,249), and SBIR Phase II 2024 ($1,249,286), supporting rotating-detonation / RBCC propulsion development. The company also states it is supported by AFRL (AFWERX), NASA, DARPA, and the U.S. Air Force.
Rotating detonation combustion produces continuous, self-sustaining supersonic detonation waves rather than steady deflagration, giving higher thermodynamic efficiency and thrust density than conventional rocket engines while burning storable liquid propellants; pairing an RDRE with an air-breathing detonation ramjet (Venus's RBCC approach) lets a vehicle take off from a runway and accelerate through the air-breathing regime into hypersonic cruise without a separate rocket-booster stage. These SBIR/STTR awards funded early feasibility and engine-development work behind that RDRE/RBCC propulsion stack, which underpins Venus's Stargazer hypersonic aircraft concept.
Award detail
- Agency
- U.S. Air Force (AFWERX) / NASA / DARPA
- Award ID
- Ceiling value
- ~$2M cumulative
- Vehicle
- SBIR/STTR
- Awarded
- Period of performance ends
Programs0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What is the Cumulative SBIR/STTR awards (RDRE/RBCC propulsion development) contract?
- Rotating detonation combustion produces continuous, self-sustaining supersonic detonation waves rather than steady deflagration, giving higher thermodynamic efficiency and thrust density than conventional rocket engines while burning storable liquid propellants; pairing an RDRE with an air-breathing detonation ramjet (Venus's RBCC approach) lets a vehicle take off from a runway and accelerate through the air-breathing regime into hypersonic cruise without a separate rocket-booster stage. These SBIR/STTR awards funded early feasibility and engine-development work behind that RDRE/RBCC propulsion stack, which underpins Venus's Stargazer hypersonic aircraft concept.
- Which agency awarded the Cumulative SBIR/STTR awards (RDRE/RBCC propulsion development) contract?
- The Cumulative SBIR/STTR awards (RDRE/RBCC propulsion development) contract was awarded by U.S. Air Force (AFWERX) / NASA / DARPA under a SBIR/STTR vehicle.
- How much is the Cumulative SBIR/STTR awards (RDRE/RBCC propulsion development) contract worth?
- The Cumulative SBIR/STTR awards (RDRE/RBCC propulsion development) contract has a value of ~$2M cumulative.
Sources & citations2
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
SBIR.gov portfolio for Venus Aerospace Corp.: STTR Phase I 2021 $50,000; STTR Phase II 2021 $746,249; SBIR Phase II 2024 $1,249,286
SBIR.gov (U.S. Small Business Administration): Venus Aerospace Corp. — Company PortfolioVerified2026-08-05 - 2
Venus Aerospace completed the first U.S. flight test of a rotating detonation rocket engine at Spaceport America, validating the RDRE technology behind its RBCC propulsion stack.
Venus Aerospace: Venus Aerospace Completes Historic U.S. Hypersonic Engine Flight TestVerified2025-05-14