EP 69 — Venus Aerospace’s Sassie Duggleby on Mach 5 Flight With No Moving Parts

Venus Aerospace achieved the first flight of a high-thrust rotating detonation rocket engine, proving that decades of theoretical research can translate into breakthrough propulsion technology. Sassie Duggleby, CEO & Co-founder,  tells Dave about conducting eight engine tests per day while maintaining manufacturing, mission control, and testing in the same facility compressed development timelines from decades into four years.

 

The breakthrough enables rockets to operate with 67% propellant instead of the industry standard 90%, creating massive payload advantages for defense applications. Sassie shares their strategic pivot from commercial hypersonic travel to defense applications as geopolitical realities shifted, and how combining detonation technology with ramjet systems creates single engines capable of accelerating from takeoff to Mach 5 with no moving parts. She also addresses advanced fundraising strategies for deep tech companies and regulatory challenges including FAA limitations that forced them to throttle capable systems during testing.

 

Topics discussed:

• The technical breakthrough of rotating detonation rocket engines that achieve supersonic combustion while reducing propellant requirements from 90% to 67% of total system weight.
• Rapid iteration methodologies that enable eight engine tests per day through integrated manufacturing, mission control, and testing facilities at Houston Spaceport.
• Proprietary thermal management solutions that prevent detonation engines from melting during sustained operation at supersonic combustion temperatures.
• Strategic pivoting from commercial hypersonic travel applications to defense programs including missiles, drones, and orbital transfer vehicles as market conditions evolved.
• Combined detonation-ramjet engine systems that enable single powerplants to accelerate from takeoff to Mach 5 with no moving parts.
• Deep tech fundraising strategies for transitioning from R&D-focused companies to production-scale operations while maintaining investor confidence during market downturns.
• Regulatory navigation challenges in hypersonic flight testing, including FAA speed limitations and the development of commercial test ranges for advanced propulsion systems.
• The formation and operation of support networks for female aerospace founders in an industry where women represent only 10-11% of the workforce.
• Scaling challenges for breakthrough propulsion technologies, including IP protection strategies and the transition from academic research to commercial applications.