Venus Aerospace rotating detonation engine

In early July 2026, Houston‑based Venus Aerospace closed a $91 million Series B round, led by Mercury Fund and backed by investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures. The cash will fund low‑rate production of its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE), a propulsion system claimed to be about 15 % more efficient than conventional rockets and capable of throttling for varied missions.

The company’s first U.S. RDRE‑powered flight test in May 2025 paved the way for a joint technology‑development agreement with Lockheed Martin announced on 21 July 2026. The partnership will assess how the continuously traveling detonation‑wave architecture can be integrated into future long‑range precision‑fire missiles, moving the concept from subsystem demo toward operational capability. Lockheed Martin will contribute missile integration, manufacturing and defense‑system expertise, while Venus Aerospace supplies its flight‑tested propulsion hardware.

Lockheed Martin’s Tim Cahill highlighted the effort’s focus on rapid fielding, affordability, scalability and greater range and speed for next‑generation weapons. Venus Aerospace CEO Sassie Duggleby noted that defense customers are seeking “more than incremental gains from legacy propulsion,” and that the RDRE offers a fundamentally different architecture. The collaboration aims to deliver deployable missile propulsion for the United States and allied partners, accelerating the transition from emerging technology to fielded systems.