Canopy Aerospace signs two USAF contracts, totaling $2.8 million

The U.S. Air Force awarded Canopy Aerospace two contracts, totaling $2.8 million, to develop thermal protection systems (TPS) and the company, founded in 2021 to develop manufacturing processes that combine software, robotic automation and 3D printing, turned to Desktop Metal‘s binder jetting technology to make it happen.

One contract focuses on Canopy’s transpiration-cooled TBS. Under a second contract, Canopy will embed high-temperature sensors in the TPS material. These latest contracts were awarded in August through AFWERX in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate’s Atomic Long-Range Systems Branch. The Air Force Materiel Command’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex supports the work.

In 2021, Canopy Aerospace emerged to address the commercial space economy’s bottlenecks. Confronted with critical shortages in high-temperature materials—vital for space launch and atmospheric re-entry—traditional models proved insufficient, be they vertically integrated governmental processes or the constrained capacities within NASA. The founders of Canopy discerned that avant-garde ventures—ranging from asteroid mining to lunar resource extraction and even microgravity pharmaceutical synthesis—could not flourish without an unwavering, economically viable manufacturing foundation to provision these essential components.

In the early days, Canopy secured a Space Act Agreement with NASA Ames, affecting the transfer of expertise in low-density, reusable Thermal Protection System (TPS) technology. Simultaneously, the team procured capital to pioneer a novel, 3D printable, superior-performance material to unlock scalability within the supply chain.

“[Solving supply chain challenges] required investment in new materials development built on top of an elastic, advanced manufacturing infrastructure. This formed the basis for Canopy’s approach to product development and innovation,” said Will Dickson, Chief Commercial Officer, Canopy Aerospace

Canopy Aerospace now has an 18,000ft² (1,672 m²) facility on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado. Within these walls, an array of mission-validated thermal shielding systems and cutting-edge ceramic components is meticulously engineered for various industrial applications. The company’s Reusable Heatshields through Additive Manufacturing (RHAM) platform underpins an expansive portfolio of novel materials and fabrication breakthroughs, serving commercial clients, NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency alike.

Download the full case study from Desktop Metal here.