OUR CUSTOMERS

CURRENT CUSTOMERS

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 RESTORE-L 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 for RST, HWO, MOMA, Ocellus, LEMS, DAVINCI, and STRIVE.
  • STS (OMES-III)
    • NASA/GSFC Thermal and Systems Engineering for Libera, JPSS, OSAM, AMS, LEESH, and QUERI
  • Peraton, Inc. (SCNS) and (ETIS)
    • NASA/GSFC Thermal Engineering for TDRS

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 also supported the Thermal Protection System (TPS) for NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, a groundbreaking mission led by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. On September 21, 2017, the TPS—a revolutionary heat shield engineered to withstand temperatures of up to 2,500°F—was installed on the spacecraft during integration and testing at APL. This critical system enables the probe to survive repeated close passes through the Sun’s outer atmosphere, allowing it to collect unprecedented data that advances understanding of solar physics and improves space weather forecasting.
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Muon Space

Vertex Aerospace strengthens Muon Space’s rapid concept‑to‑orbit model by enhancing system design, integration reliability, and mission readiness across its end‑to‑end satellite programs. Founded in 2021, Muon Space builds and operates mission‑optimized constellations using its Halo™ technology stack—integrating advanced spacecraft platforms, robust payload management, and a software‑defined orchestration layer to deliver high‑performance Earth intelligence. Vertex’s engineering support helps de‑risk interfaces, streamline integration, and ensure consistent performance as Muon scales production from its Silicon Valley facilities to meet growing commercial and national security demands.
OpTech

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.

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Quantum Space

Vertex Aerospace provides essential engineering support to Quantum Space as the company prepares to launch its first Ranger spacecraft in mid‑2026—a mission aimed at demonstrating advanced maneuverability and other capabilities critical to national security operations. By delivering specialized analysis, modeling expertise, and design‑focused collaboration, Vertex Aerospace helps ensure that Quantum Space’s Ranger platform enters orbit with the reliability, thermal resilience, and system‑level readiness required for high‑stakes defense missions.

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

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

University of California - Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory

visioneering space

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.