Juno Propulsion Wins $1.2M Grant From NSF to Advance Non-Toxic Space Propulsion System

Juno Propulsion Secures $1.2 Million NSF Grant to Push Rotating Detonation Thrusters Closer to Orbit

Juno Propulsion received a $1.2M NSF SBIR Phase II grant to develop its rotating detonation engine thruster using non-toxic nitrous oxide and ethane propellants. The funding advances the system toward production readiness while the company prepares for a 2027 orbital demonstration. This builds on prior NASA and state support to challenge decades-old hydrazine dominance in satellite propulsion.

Juno Propulsion wins $1.2M grant from NSF to advance non-toxic space propulsion system

The Juno Propulsion team includes, from left, fluid systems engineer Andrew Adams, facility operations engineer Cody Niggemyer, chief technology officer Ari Martinez and CEO Alexis Harroun. (Juno Propulsion Photo) The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.2 million grant to Tukwila, Wash.-based Juno Propulsion to support the startup’s development of a non-toxic propulsion system for in-space applications. The two-year Phase II project, fu…

Juno Propulsion gets a boost for non-toxic rocket tech

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.2 million grant to Tukwila, Wash.-based Juno Propulsion to support the startup’s development of a non-toxic propulsion system for in-space applications. The two-year Phase II project, funded through NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, will be conducted in partnership with the University of Washington and UW Professor Carl Knowlen’s lab. The focus of […]