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Space Agencies and Companies

Ad Astra Rocket Company

In-Space Servicing and Infrastructure Companies

The Ad Astra Rocket Company is a United States Delaware corporation dedicated to the development of advanced plasma rocket propulsion technology, located in Webster, Texas near NASA Johnson Space Center, with a second facility in Liberia, Costa Rica. Incorporated on January 14, 2005, the company is led by retired astronaut Franklin Chang Díaz and has worked on his Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket concept, known by its acronym VASIMR, intended to achieve advantages over chemical rocket designs including lunar cargo transport, in space refueling and high speed distant space missions.

Facts
Agency Type
American private plasma rocket propulsion company (Delaware corporation) with a wholly owned Costa Rica subsidiary 1
Founded Year
2005 1
Headquarters
Webster, Texas, United States 1
Head
Franklin Chang-Díaz (President and CEO) 1
Open Questions
Annual Budget
Not disclosed
Privately held Delaware corporation; no annual revenue or budget figure publicly disclosed as of 2026-09-12.
FAQs

Does Ad Astra Rocket Company work on anything besides rocket engines?

Yes. Through its Costa Rica subsidiary it also develops clean energy solutions based on green-hydrogen storage.

Yes. Ad Astra describes itself as a spaceflight technology company dedicated to advanced plasma rocket propulsion, and its main product is the VASIMR engine, short for Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket. Through its Costa Rica subsidiary, the company is also developing turn-key clean energy solutions based on green-hydrogen energy storage.
In the Other Atlases

Located In

United States

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Ad Astra Rocket Company
Wikipedia
  • lead section, sentence 1 (business description)
    The Ad Astra Rocket Company, a U.S. Delaware corporation, is a rocket propulsion company dedicated to the development of advanced plasma rocket propulsion technology.
  • lead section, sentence 2 (founding year)
    the company was incorporated on January 14, 2005.
  • lead section, sentence 2 (headquarters)
    Located in Webster, Texas, three miles away from NASA's Johnson Space Center, and in Liberia, Costa Rica
  • lead section, sentence 3 (leadership)
    The President and CEO of Ad Astra Rocket Company is retired astronaut Franklin Chang-Díaz.
  • In Group: United States In-Space Infrastructure Companies, Lead sentence
    Located in Webster, Texas, three miles away from NASA's Johnson Space Center, and in Liberia, Costa Rica, the company was incorporated on January 14, 2005.
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