Velontra
About
About Velontra
Velontra develops compact jet propulsion for uncrewed and high-speed aircraft. Its work covers low-cost turbojets and propulsion architectures for subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic flight, with engines designed around the production cost, packaging and mission requirements of attritable autonomous systems.
The company supplies propulsion development rather than operating a space-transport service. Engineering spans inlet, combustor, turbomachinery and integrated vehicle testing, with customer programmes addressing drones, missiles and high-speed demonstrators. Velontra’s current business has moved beyond its earlier space-plane concept and is centred on deployable engines and propulsion technology.
Team
- Joel Darin - Founder - His propulsion and high-speed-flight experience underpins Velontra's air-breathing hypersonic aircraft and space-launch programme.
Timeline
Events
- 2023-12-15 - Contract Award - U.S. Air Force awards Velontra Phase I hypersonic-propulsion contract
The $109,484 Phase I STTR award began on December 15, 2023 under contract FA8649-24-P-0139. The study addressed lower-cost direct-connect testing for small air-breathing propulsion systems used by reusable or attritable super- and hypersonic UAVs. The official award record identifies Purdue University as the research institution and the U.S. Air Force as the awarding branch.
Source - 2023-06-15 - Demonstration - Velontra completes Bronco hypersonic engine wind-tunnel test
Velontra tested the Bronco engine at Purdue University at speeds above Mach 4.5 and a simulated altitude above 100,000 feet. The small afterburning turbojet-ramjet was designed to transition toward thrust above Mach 5. Velontra presented Bronco as an integration-ready propulsion system for small unmanned aircraft and its planned hypersonic spaceplane.
Source - 2022-08-01 - Market Signal - Velontra announces selection for Y Combinator
Velontra announced that it had joined Y Combinator's accelerator programme. The company described a horizontal-takeoff spaceplane architecture using air-breathing propulsion before releasing a second-stage rocket into low Earth orbit. Velontra said the aircraft was designed to climb above 100,000 feet and reach Mach 5 before the orbital-stage release.
Source
Relations
Relationships
- Purdue University
Hypersonic Propulsion Research Institution - Purdue University supported Velontra's Bronco wind-tunnel testing and was named as the research institution on its Air Force STTR award.
- U.S. Air Force
Phase I Sttr Awarding Agency - The U.S. Air Force awarded Velontra a Phase I STTR contract for hypersonic-UAV propulsion test development.
Context
Shared workflows
- Kalam Labs
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation · Autonomous Drone Companies
- Rocket Lab
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Lockheed Martin
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Hop Aero
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Spaceium
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- Cascade Space
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Navier AI
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- Basalt
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Inversion Space
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Reditus Space
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Wardstone
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- HEO
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Quindar
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- Albedo
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Airhart Aeronautics
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Seaflight Technologies
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- REGENT
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Hubble Network
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Kitekraft
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Daedalean
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Embraer
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- AALTO
workflow adjacency - Autonomous Drone Companies
- Airbus UpNext
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Elbit Systems Ltd.
workflow adjacency - Autonomous Drone Companies
- AEVEX
workflow adjacency - Autonomous Drone Companies
- Tornyol
workflow adjacency - Autonomous Drone Companies
- Voltair
workflow adjacency - Autonomous Drone Companies
- Brumby
workflow adjacency - Autonomous Drone Companies
- Buoyant Aero
workflow adjacency - Autonomous Drone Companies
- Avion
workflow adjacency - Autonomous Drone Companies
Context tags
- Aerospace autonomy innovation - Workflow - Korthos context supports Aerospace autonomy innovation.
- Autonomous drone systems participation - Workflow - Korthos context supports Autonomous drone companies.
Commercial
- U.S. Air Force awards Velontra Phase I hypersonic-propulsion contract
2023-12-15 · Order / contract · The U.S. Air Force awarded Velontra a $109,484 Phase I STTR contract for a feasibility study on direct-connect testing of small air-breathing propulsion systems for reusable or attritable super- and hypersonic UAVs.
Source