OUR CUSTOMERS

CURRENT CUSTOMERS

Applied Physics Lab (APL)

Vertex Aerospace is proud to provide thermal engineering support to the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, contributing to the groundbreaking Dragonfly Mission.

Vertex Aerospace supported NASA’s IMAP mission from development through launch, providing thermal modeling, analysis, and test support to ensure spacecraft systems met mission requirements and performed reliably in space.

Vertex Aerospace played a key role in supporting the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory's (APL) DART mission by providing critical thermal engineering expertise. Their contributions ensured that the spacecraft's systems remained within operational temperature ranges throughout its journey and impact with the asteroid Dimorphos. This thermal support was vital to the success of DART’s kinetic impactor demonstration, helping maintain the integrity and performance of onboard instruments like DRACO, which guided the spacecraft during its final approach.

Vertex Aerospace played a key role in supporting the thermal protection system (TPS) for the Parker Solar Probe, a groundbreaking mission led by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). On September 21, 2017, the TPS—a revolutionary heat shield designed to withstand temperatures up to 2,500°F—was installed onto the spacecraft during integration and testing at APL. This critical component enables the probe to survive its journey into the Sun’s outer atmosphere, where it collects data to answer long-standing questions about solar physics and improve space weather forecasting.

Innoflight

Vertex Aerospace’s thermal analysis support for Innoflight’s SWC-400XS Ethernet switch provided a comprehensive evaluation of the unit’s thermal integrity across its CubeSat-form factor. Leveraging Vertex’s expertise, the collaboration included detailed modeling of the multi-board assembly stack, power dissipation mapping of the Xilinx UltraScale+ MPSoC and Ethernet PHYs, and PCB thermal conductivity calculations using IPC-2152 and JESD51 standards. Vertex’s contribution extended to layout-specific simulations, component property derivations, and adherence to PCB modeling guidelines, ensuring the 20 W system remained within safe operating temperatures. This analysis validated Innoflight’s TRL 9 deployment goals by confirming the SWC-400XS’s thermal resilience in spaceflight conditions.

NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

The managing members of Vertex Aerospace, Nicholas Teti and Rommel Zara, hold key engineering positions on the NASA’s OMES-III contract. Mr. Teti is the JPSS-2 Project Thermal Lead and Mr. Zara is the OSAM-1 Senior Thermal Engineer. Mr. Teti has over 35 years supporting NASA/GSFC and Mr. Zara has more than 25 years supporting NASA/GSFC programs. Vertex Aerospace provides NASA/GSFC and industry with a resource capability that has developed over several years and multiple NASA programs affording Vertex Aerospace a vast understanding of the NASA/GFSC lifecycle for both in-house and out of house programs. NASA/GSFC engaged Vertex Aerospace to be part of the NASA team that was successful in having the PACE spacecraft awarded as an in-house program. Additionally, NASA/GSFC has relied on Vertex Aerospace to provide thermal engineering expertise for a significant number of proposals in an effort to bring more programs in-house to the NASA/GSFC.

ASES (MIST-II)
- NASA/GSFC Thermal Engineering Branch Support
STS (OMES-III)
- NASA/GSFC Thermal and Systems Engineering for Libera, JPSS, OSAM, AMS, LEESH, and QUERI
Columbus Technologies and Services (ESES-IV)
- NASA/GSFC Printed Wiring Board (PWB) and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Thermal Analysis
Peraton, Inc. (SCNS) and (ETIS)
- NASA/GSFC Thermal Engineering for TDRS

Optimum Technologies

Vertex Aerospace was contracted by Optimum Technologies (OpTech) to provide thermal analysis and thermal vacuum (TVAC) test support for the CARACAL visible band sensor, delivering end-to-end thermal engineering expertise from design through environmental qualification. Responsibilities included developing detailed thermal models to simulate orbital conditions, supporting TVAC testing to validate thermal performance, and collaborating throughout the payload’s development to ensure compliance with mission requirements and reliable operation in space.

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

Vertex Aerospace was contracted by a Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas to develop a thermal design, perform thermal analysis for the APSR, CoDICE, IMAP, LEXI, PUNCH, and QuickSounder instruments, which will launch in the 2020's.

Star Catcher

Star Catcher is developing an advanced Space Power Beaming Technology called DemoSat, aimed at demonstrating wireless energy transmission in space. To ensure the system's thermal integrity and performance, they have partnered with Vertex Aerospace, which will provide specialized thermal analysis support. This collaboration combines Star Catcher's innovation in space-based energy solutions with Vertex Aerospace's engineering expertise to advance the DemoSat mission.

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University of California - Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory

Visioneering Space

Visioneering Space has engaged Vertex Aerospace to conduct thermal analysis for the Cosmic Frontier Laboratories' 0.5-meter visible astronomical imager instrument. This collaboration aims to ensure the imager's thermal stability and performance in space environments, supporting Visioneering Space's mission to advance high-resolution astronomical observation technologies.

Visioneering Space has tasked Vertex Aerospace with a high-level thermal performance assessment of the Muon SBEM instrument concept, known as Mini TIRS. Vertex is providing comprehensive thermal engineering support, including compiling component temperature limits and power dissipation data, developing a preliminary thermal control architecture—featuring sinks, straps, radiators, heaters, and thermal finishes—and constructing a Thermal Desktop model of the instrument integrated with its spacecraft bus. The analysis targets thermal stability in a 600 km sun-synchronous orbit, laying the groundwork for robust thermal design in future mission phases.