About Vaya defense & space

Founded in 2017 to build a better rocket engine.

Vaya Defense & Space is Florida's Space Coast hometown propulsion company — designing, building, testing, and preparing to launch the world's safest, simplest, and most sustainable rocket propulsion systems from a single campus in Cocoa, FL.

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Vaya timeline

Our Story

2017

FOUNDED AS ROCKET CRAFTERS

Rocket Crafters founded in Cocoa, FL with a mission to create a safer way to space using hybrid rocket propulsion.

2022

INTERNATIONAL GREEN APPLE AWARD

Vaya Space wins the International Green Apple Environment Award and is recognized as a Green World Ambassador for its commitment to sustainable, non-toxic, recycled-fuel rocket propulsion.

2024

USAF SBIR & AFWERX CONTRACTS

Vaya commences work with the US Air Force on a SBIR Phase I hypersonic propulsion feasibility study, and is selected for a $1.2M AFWERX Phase II contract to advance hypersonic propulsion development.

Leadership

Vaya Board of Directors

Chief Executive Officer

Wes Naylor

Chairman of the Board

Paul A. Ostrowski

Independent Board Member

Ron Schneweis

Independent Board Member

Chad Taylor

Advisors to the Board of Directors

GENERAL WESLEY K. CLARK, U.S. ARMY (RET.)

Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe · Brings decades of strategic leadership and defense industry relationships to the Vaya board.

Enverra — Chaired by Gen. Clark — supports fundraising efforts and provides strategic advisory services to Vaya Defense & Space.

GENERAL ROBERT "ABE" ABRAMS, U.S. ARMY (RET.)

Former Commander, US Forces Korea · Provides operational and strategic defense advisory services to Vaya's leadership team and board.

"[Vaya's] technologies have the potential to bring a completely new and much needed capability for strategic and tactical missiles." - Gen. Abrams

Infrastructure

The Vaya Campus

Vaya Space is the Space Coast's hometown propulsion company. Our Cocoa, FL campus spans three facilities within a four-mile radius — allowing us to design, manufacture, test, and iterate on our systems quickly, with no supply chain dependencies outside the state of Florida.

Headquarters

Vaya Defense & Space HQ

Corporate headquarters, engineering offices, and primary design and development facility. Home to Vaya's propulsion engineering, simulation software, and business teams — all under one roof in Cocoa, FL.

Manufacturing

Production Facility

Designed to enable the manufacturing of hybrid rocket engines using commercially available thermoplastics and standard industrial equipment.

Test & Validation

Test Facility

On-campus hot-fire testing facility supporting rapid prototype validation and production acceptance testing. Enables Vaya to iterate from design to hot-fire in less than five months — compressing the development cycle that takes competitors years.

Want to speak with the team?

Whether you're exploring a program, a partnership, or an investment — we'd like to hear from you.

Vaya Space develops advanced hybrid propulsion systems for defense and space applications. With active programs under the US Army, US Air Force, DARPA, and industry partners, Vaya's patented Vortex-Hybrid engine is the leading hybrid propulsion platform under US defense development.

Programs

Defense Propulsion Hypersonic / HFRJ Dauntless Launch Vehicle In-Space Propulsion

Company

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2941 Oxbow Circle · Cocoa, FL 32926