Venus Aerospace Secures $91 Million Series B to Scale Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine

Houston‑based Venus Aerospace announced a $91 million Series B financing round led by Mercury Fund, with participation from investors such as Lockheed Martin Ventures. The capital will be used to expand production capacity for the company’s rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE), a propulsion system that the firm says is 15 % more efficient than conventional rockets and can be throttled for varied missions.

The company demonstrated the first U.S. RDRE‑powered test flight in May 2025, a milestone that attracted interest from both defense and commercial space customers. Venus aims to supply the engine for high‑speed aircraft up to Mach 6, orbital transfer vehicles, and future lunar‑lander spacecraft, targeting at least one major defense contract and one major space contract to reach low‑rate production of about 100 units per year.

CEO Sassie Duggleby called the funding “an important step” toward delivering reliable, scalable propulsion, while CTO Andrew Duggleby highlighted the engine’s efficiency, throttling ability and manufacturability as key differentiators for real‑world missions.