Promising & Innovative Aerospace Companies in San Francisco

When most people think about aerospace companies in silicon valley, they imagine such companies as SpaceX. Elon’s company may be one of the most ferocious competitors in the sector, but there are plenty more companies making inroads into aerospace history. The majority are dispersed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and they specialize in developing technologies that rethink human use of transit between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space. Some, including Lockheed Martin and Hexcel Corporation, have shaped the aeronautical industry for decades, while others have only lately joined the Bay Area's space-seeking community.

These companies are committed to uncovering new paths for air and space research paths with their satellites and aeronautical experience in tow. Some are busy photographing the Earth from all angles and constructing aircraft, others are developing ambitious plans for space tourism and bolstering government defenses. For that reason, our San Francisco web agency experts have created this special article filled with 19 best aerospace companies located in California.

19 best aerospace companies in California, San Francisco

Elroy Air is a provider of cargo transportation solutions utilizing unmanned aircraft. The business has created a hybrid-powered prototype with rotor-based vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing cruise flight. It navigates the sky using a combination of sensors (including lidar, radar, and cameras) and air-traffic management software. There are use scenarios involving commercial freight and military supplies.

Planet Labs, Inc. provides worldwide satellite imagery data and insights, daily imaging of the whole continent of the Earth. Using lean, low-cost electronics and design iteration, the firm designs, constructs, and runs the largest fleet of satellites in orbit. Three NASA scientists founded it. A small team schedules imaging windows, pushes software into orbit, and downloads images to 45 ground stations. The company's satellites, known as Doves, are managed using patented automation software, while small team schedules imaging windows, pushes software into orbit, and downloads images to 45 ground stations. Planet Labs uses the Google Cloud Platform to enable customers to access their data directly, facilitating online and API access to their imagery and archive.

Hoversurf is a US aerospace startup that is dedicated to creating electric mobility products for aerial applications and commercial drones. The company's electric aircraft "Scorpion" is a quadcopter-based solution with a single seat. The business intends to create air taxi solutions for commercial uses and begin operations in 2018. The company also designs and manufactures the S-3 cargo-transporting drone technology. It is said that the S-3 can carry 100 kilograms of cargo.

SpacePharma intends to advance pharmaceutical development beyond the stratosphere by utilizing tiny microgravity lab technologies to create new medications in space. Microgravity technology has already demonstrated its unparalleled potential in stem cell research, microbiology, cancer research, and reducing the effects of aging. It has demonstrated its fraction of the cost and with more excellent success rates than conventional methods.

Alanax is developing modeling and operational software that will facilitate the comprehension of aeronautical networking. The company's objective is to optimize aircraft networks so that they may provide access to the most remote locations on Earth, thereby resolving commercial, environmental, humanitarian, and security issues. STK NetMod by Alanax simulates and emulates end-to-end aerospace communication networks and applications with unmatched accuracy. The software allows users to simultaneously conduct several pre-flight simulations on a single computer, integrate vast pre-existing networks into simulation situations, and more.

Urban Sky is transforming the industry of earth observation. They are a new venture-backed stealth firm pioneering an entirely new class of high-altitude vehicles. Some of their partners refer to us as the 'Microballoon.' Their compact, reusable high-altitude balloons of ours will collect the world's highest resolution, most recent, and least expensive wide-area earth observation data.

Lockheed Martin is an international security and aerospace business that conducts research, designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and maintains advanced technology systems, services, and products. The aeronautics division of the corporation designs high-performance aircraft with a focus on innovative, low-cost design and manufacturing processes and operational readiness. Lockheed Martin also designs and manufactures maritime systems, radars and sensors, and directed energy solutions for the U.S. and partner armies.

Established in 1939, the NASA Ames Research Center is one of the largest aerospace companies and the leader in aeronautics and exploration technology research and development. The key competencies of the center include entry systems, advanced computer and information technology systems, aero sciences, air traffic management, cost-effective space missions, astrobiology, and life science. Their research facilities are equipped with wind tunnels, an arc jet complex, a range complex, simulators, and modern supercomputing technology. The Ames Research Center is now leading an expedition to send the first woman and next man to the Moon and working on the development of commercial space transportation, operations on the International Space Station, and advanced systems for human space exploration.

Spire Global is a space-to-cloud analytics firm that collects data from space to address problems on Earth. The company owns and operates one of the largest satellite constellations in the world. The company identifies, monitors, and forecasts the movements of the world's resources and weather systems to assist corporations and governments in making strategic decisions. The LEMUR satellites of Spire orbit the Earth every 90 minutes, passing over every location in the world hundreds of times every day. Every two to three years, the company provides its satellites with a significant hardware upgrade, allowing them to put unique sensors into orbit faster.

BAE Systems is a global defense, aerospace, and security corporation that provides services for air, land, and sea forces. The organization designs, develops, and manufactures various electronic systems and subsystems for military and commercial uses, produces specialist security and protection products, and offers service support for armored combat vehicles, munitions, and artillery systems. BAE Systems designs and provides solutions for civil and commercial space agencies for use on Earth, near space, and deep space, enabling clients to command, control, and communicate with spacecraft and ensuring electronics can withstand radiation and temperature extremes.

Capella Space is the first firm in the United States to launch and operate SAR satellites. The expansion of the commercial space industry and advancements in cloud computing spawned a smallsat revolution, resulting in abundant space-based data. However, nearly every business depends on optical satellites, which confront considerable hurdles regarding timely and trustworthy Earth Observation. Today, the company is developing the next generation of SAR sensors to create a constellation that improves commercial, environmental, and security decisions on Earth.

Hexcel Corporation, founded in 1948, produces revolutionary composite materials for commercial aerospace, industrial, space, and defense applications. The company provides the composite materials used to construct Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which are meant to save weight and fuel, boost payload, extend flight range, and improve durability of the existing space assets. Hexcel also makes innovative composites for commercial helicopters and military aircraft, manufactures wind turbines, assists in the automotive industry, and provides advanced composite materials to the marine and recreation industries.

Orbital Sidekick is an aerospace startup in Bay Area that is creating a hyperspectral sensor infrastructure in orbit to provide monitoring services and solutions. Radiometric speciation and change detection capabilities enable the organization to deliver global target monitoring services. Orbital Sidekick's Spectral Intelligence Platform analyzes the chemical fingerprint of each target, transforming the energy industry's perspective on regulatory compliance, leak prevention, detection, and speciation monitoring services. The company's spectrum resolution enables chemical change monitoring with substantially better sensitivity than current monitoring space systems, supplanting inefficient, invasive, and expensive ground-based and aerial sensor technologies.

Established in 1963, the Sierra Nevada Corporation is an aerospace and defense contractor, delivering tailored solutions to government and commercial customers. The company specializes in space exploration and satellites, aircraft integrations, threat detection and security, navigation and guidance systems, scientific research, and infrastructure protection. Their services and solutions cover a wide range of areas, including integrated ISR solutions, aircraft design and modification, rotary-wing integration and modification, cybersecurity, satellite solutions, and electronic warfare systems.

Xona Space Systems is dedicated to allowing the world's most modern infrastructure and transportation systems safely, precisely, and all-weatherly. The business is building a next-generation navigation system with a constellation of Low Earth Orbiting satellites that will deliver greater availability, centimeter-level precision, and unparalleled security to fulfill the navigation requirements of autonomous vehicles. As autonomous vehicles, UAVs, mobile robotics, and other location-critical applications continue to demand unprecedented levels of reliability, security, and precision, Xona aims to redefine navigation for commercial customers.

Acubed employs technical fields such as artificial intelligence, autonomy, data analytics, rapid prototyping, and digital communication to foster innovation in the aerospace industry. Acubed, a part of Airbus, aspires to strengthen the aerospace sector by undertaking high-impact innovation initiatives and introducing breakthrough products to the market.

Arevo provides software for product lifecycle management that aids in designing, simulation, optimization, fabrication, and managing parts. It serves the aerospace, defense, consumer electronics, transportation, and consumer goods industries. It combines design and building software with motion robotics for 3D construction.

Millimeter Consulting Group designs and prototypes one-of-a-kind space solutions in radar, antenna, robotics, uncrewed aerial vehicles, and other applications. Millimeter offers complete simulation, test, and measurement capabilities up to 110 GHz when dealing with wavelength technology, as well as knowledgeable staff and a precise CNC milling machine for more intuitive prototyping.

Opener focuses on developing VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft for urban personal aviation, located in California. BlackFly, an all-electric aircraft created and developed by the business, is equipped with redundant flight systems, control surfaces, and sensors. It is equipped with an intuitive joystick controller, a distributed battery system, geofencing, soft-landing aid, real-time alert & notification systems, and backup landing systems, including low-power glide mode and the Ballistic Parachute System (BPS). According to the firm, the aircraft has a range of 40+ miles and a cruising speed of 80+ mph.

All in all, there are many aerospace companies located in San Francisco. Some of them have launched and began operating within a few years' time. Others have stood strong since the 90-s. However, what connects all of them is a dynamic development of aerospace technologies. There are tons of opportunities for the aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as the people who work in the aerospace industry. So who knows, perhaps humanity will see a substantial rise in the aerospace industry and aerospace jobs in the next few years. as the journey to Mars does not seem like a magical fairytale anymore.