Evolution Space is an American private spaceflight aerospace company providing solid propulsion systems and small launch.[1][2] The company is run by CEO and founder Steve Heller, and is currently based in Mojave, California.[1]
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | December 2018; 5 years ago (2018-12) |
| Founder | Steve Heller, CEO |
| Headquarters |
,
United States
|
| Website | evolutionspace |
Founded in 2018, the company began under the brand name Sugarhouse Aerospace with cofounders Steve Heller and Riley Meik.[3] The initial mission of the company was to be a provider of low cost access to space and suborbital launch with commercial launches from Spaceport America.[3][4] In 2021, the company rebranded to Evolution Space under CEO and founder Steve Heller,[1] with its first launch as Evolution Space in November of 2021.[5]
Evolution Space performed their first successful space launch passing the Kármán line on April 22, 2023 with the Gold Chain Cowboy sounding rocket.[6]
Evolution Space specializes in designing and manufacturing solid-propellant systems and launch vehicles for both defense and space applications.[2]
In October 2022, Evolution Space performed a launch vehicle system test of their propulsion system for the Gold Chain Cowboy mission. The motor performed with 20,000 pounds of peak thrust, a maximum chamber pressure of 1,630 psi and achieved 15 seconds burn time.[7]
In May 2023, Evolution Space formally includes providing solid propulsion systems along-side launch services and vehicles. The company conducted their first commercial spaceflight partnership as a propulsion provider with The Spaceport Company, as they performed test launches on their floating offshore launch platform in the Gulf of Mexico.[2] This test also marked the first commercial launch from US territorial waters.[8]
Evolution Space held its first full-scale solid-propellant rocket mission, Too Busy Chasing Stars, in November 2021, reaching a max altitude of 188,444 feet with a max velocity of Mach 3.95.[9][5]
The company conducted two sub-scale missions, No More Questions in May 2022, and Expressionless in February 2023, validating its upgraded systems and solutions.[5]
Evolution Space completed its first space mission, Gold Chain Cowboy, on April 22, 2023, reaching apogee at 408,456 feet (124.5 km) and reached a max speed of Mach 5.2.[6][10] The test launch included a payload from Uplift Aerospace of two 3D printed silver figurines, representing Venus and Mars, created by artist Chad Knight.[6]Adrogue parachute anomaly was reported resulting in a higher than expected landing velocity.[6]
| Launch | Launch Date | Vehicle Type | Height (ft) | Diameter (in) | Weight (lbs) | Launch Site | Payload | Altitude | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 13, 2021 | Sounding rocket prototype | 18' | 10" | F.A.R. | 188,444 feet | [9][5] | ||
| 2 | May 22, 2022 | Sub-scale sounding rocket prototype | [5] | ||||||
| 3 | February 18, 2023 | Sub-scale sounding rocket prototype | 7' | 3" | 30 lbs | F.A.R. | 48,000 feet | [11] | |
| 4 | April 22, 2023 | Gold Chain Cowboy - Sounding rocket prototype | 22' | 10" | 900 lbs | F.A.R. | Uplift Aerospace | 408,456 feet | [6] |