Ad Astra Rocket Company

Ad Astra Rocket Company is a spaceflight technology company developing the VASIMR engine, a plasma rocket propulsion system meant for in-space transportation. The engine is being built around a design by astronaut Franklin Chang Díaz and his team, and the company describes it as offering high power with electric propulsion efficiency. Ad Astra's work includes ground testing of a 100 kW prototype in a vacuum chamber in Texas, with proposed uses such as cargo transfer, station reboost and deep space missions.

This is a development company rather than a walk-in business. Its public materials say proprietary technical details are not shared beyond published papers, and tours and speaking engagements are arranged through its Connect page. The head office is at 141 West Bay Area Boulevard in Webster, and the company also runs a clean energy subsidiary in Costa Rica.