Juno Propulsion Awarded $1.2 Million NSF Phase II SBIR to Advance Production-Ready In-Space Propulsion
TUKWILA, Wash. — August 27, 2026 — Juno Propulsion Inc., a developer of advanced rocket propulsion systems, has been awarded a $1.2 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through America’s Seed Fund. The two-year award will fund development of Juno’s Production Development Unit (PDU), a TRL 8 version of its non-toxic in-space propulsion system based on rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) technology.
The Phase II program will be conducted in partnership with the University of Washington and Professor Carl Knowlen’s RDRE laboratory. The program is intended to build on Juno’s upcoming Project IRIS flight demonstration, using the results and lessons learned from the successful on-orbit demonstration to advance the propulsion system toward pilot production and commercial deployment.
“This award represents an important milestone in taking our rotating detonation propulsion technology from development and flight demonstration toward a production-ready product,” said Dr. Alexis Harroun, CEO and co-founder of Juno Propulsion. “We’re excited to continue our collaboration with the University of Washington and Professor Knowlen’s lab as we take the next step toward delivering this technology to commercial and government customers.”
The NSF Phase II award follows Juno’s successful $275,000 Phase I SBIR, in which the company demonstrated fundamental performance advantages of its rotating detonation combustion technology. The Phase I program advanced Juno’s propulsion technology through vacuum testing and demonstrated over 100% combustion efficiency and stable detonation wave operation, establishing the technical foundation for continued development.
Under the Phase II program, Juno and the University of Washington will focus on improving propellant utilization and overall system mass, further advancing propulsion performance, developing a production and scaling strategy, and conducting full-system testing in a vacuum environment. The resulting PDU is intended to achieve Technology Readiness Level 8 (TRL 8), representing a near-production-ready propulsion system that has been demonstrated in its relevant environment.
The PDU will build directly on Juno’s Project IRIS flight demonstration. Project IRIS is designed to demonstrate Juno’s rotating detonation propulsion technology in the intended operating environment of space, providing critical technical and commercial validation. Following the flight demonstration, Juno intends to incorporate lessons learned into the PDU and use the resulting system to establish the foundation for pilot production.
Juno’s propulsion architecture combines rotating detonation combustion with non-toxic propellants to address longstanding challenges in spacecraft maneuverability, propulsion performance, and logistics. The company’s technology is designed to deliver a 5–10% improvement in specific impulse over conventional chemical propulsion approaches while improving system size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C).
“Rotating detonation combustion gives us a fundamentally different way to approach rocket propulsion,” said Dr. Ari Martinez, CTO and co-founder of Juno Propulsion. “The Phase I program established the underlying performance advantages. Phase II is about translating those results into a robust, manufacturable system that is ready for the next generation of in-space mobility.”
The NSF Phase II program represents a significant step toward Juno’s goal of making high-performance, responsive in-space mobility more accessible. By combining high-efficiency propulsion with non-toxic propellants, Juno aims to enable spacecraft to maneuver farther, faster, and for longer while reducing the logistical and operational burdens associated with traditional toxic propellants.
About Juno Propulsion Inc.
Juno Propulsion Inc. is a rocket propulsion company founded in 2023 and headquartered in Tukwila, Washington. Juno’s mission is to redefine rocket propulsion as we know it through the development of advanced combustion and propulsion technologies. The company is developing high-performance rocket engines and next-generation propulsion systems for space and other demanding applications.
About America’s Seed Fund
America’s Seed Fund powered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million in non-dilutive funds to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $9 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov.
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