BluShift Aerospace

BluShift Aerospace

Company type	Launch services
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	March 2014 (2014-03)
Founders	Sascha Deri
Headquarters	2 Pegasus Street,Suite 2, Brunswick, Maine , United States
Key people	Sascha Deri, CEO David Hayrikyan, CTO Luke Saindon, SME Brady Brim-DeForest, Chairman
Products	Boosters Hybrid rocket engines Biofuel Launch vehicles
Services	Sub-orbital and orbital transportation
Number of employees	20 (2024)
Website	blushiftaerospace.com

BluShift Aerospace (stylized as BluShift) is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Brunswick, Maine, with an additional office in Concord, California. Founded in 2014, the company develops hybrid rocket engines powered by plant-derived biofuels^[1][2] for launching small satellites and supporting suborbital research missions.

The company is funded by numerous organizations, including the United States Air Force,^[3] NASA's Small Business Innovation Research program,^[4] and the Maine Technology Institute.^[5] They are an affiliate of the Maine Space Grant Consortium.^[6]

Sascha Deri founded BluShift Aerospace in 2014.^[7][8] In 2016, the company relocated from Massachusetts to Brunswick Landing in Maine, utilizing the aerospace infrastructure of the former Naval Air Station.^[9] This move provided access to testing facilities and technical staff needed for developing the company’s experimental rockets.

In 2017, the Maine Technology Institute awarded funding for BluShift’s biofuel development efforts, while a 2019 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant supported work on a modular hybrid rocket engine design.^[10] BluShift's first launch, originally planned for 2019, was delayed due to various factors including the COVID-19 pandemic.^[11] By 2020, the company conducted 154 static fire tests of its hybrid propulsion system in preparation for its first launch.^[12]

On January 31, 2021, after multiple weather-related delays, BluShift Aerospace conducted the launch of its Stardust 1.0 prototype rocket from Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine.^{[13][14][15][16]} The 20-foot (6-meter) rocket reached an altitude of approximately 4,100 feet (1,250 meters) and was recovered via parachute. The company estimated the total cost of the launch to be under $500,000.^[17]

BluShift described the launch as the first commercial rocket flight powered entirely by a bio-derived fuel, as well as the first commercial rocket launch in Maine and the New England region.^[18][19] It was also the first flight test of BluShift’s hybrid propulsion system.

The vehicle carried three experimental payloads housed in 3U CubeSat enclosures, provided by Kellogg Research Lab, Rocket Insights, and Falmouth High School.^[18] The vehicle was retired after the flight and used for post-flight analysis.

Following the launch of Stardust 1.0, BluShift Aerospace expanded its commercial and technical operations. In March 2021, the company launched a public crowdfunding campaign with an initial goal of $500,000. By April 2022, the campaign had exceeded its target, raising over $1.1 million from more than 1,000 investors worldwide.^[20]

In June 2021, BluShift entered a commercial agreement with Max IQ, a Virginia-based company, to provide launch services for up to 60 small satellites over multiple years, with a planned launch frequency of twice per year.^[21]

The company began construction of its full-scale Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch (MAREVL) 2.0 in October 2021. A static fire test of the engine was conducted in March 2022. The MAREVL engine is intended to power BluShift’s upcoming Starless Rogue suborbital vehicle and the Red Dwarf orbital launch system.

To support future launch operations, BluShift selected a site near Jonesport and Beals, Maine—approximately 30 miles east of Bar Harbor—after site evaluations and regulatory review. The location was planned to support coastal missions to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.^[22] However, in March 2022, BluShift abandoned plans to build a spaceport in Jonesport following opposition from local residents.^[23]

BluShift participated in the inaugural Maine Space Conference in November 2023, an event organized by the Maine Space Corporation and the NASA Maine Space Grant Consortium. The conference focused on the Maine Space 2030 strategic initiative, bringing together participants from government, academia, and private industry.^[24]

In June 2024, the company completed a $1.3 million seed funding round led by Houston-based Late Stage Capital,^[25] with managing partner Brady Brim-DeForest joining BluShift’s board as chairman. This investment was supplemented by a $1 million federal SBIR grant to support development of their suborbital launch capabilities.

In October 2024, BluShift completed a 60-second static fire test of the MAREVL (Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch) 2.0 engine with active throttling.^[26] The test concluded a $1.1 million contract with the U.S. Air Force focused on evaluating the engine for booster-stage propulsion applications.

As of 2025, BluShift is preparing for the first launch of its Starless Rogue suborbital rocket, expected to carry commercial payloads. It has completed its hybrid engine testing in Brunswick.^[27] The company is pursuing a $15 million equity round to fund the first launch of its suborbital rocket from Spaceport America in New Mexico. In mid-2025, BluShift announced plans to re-fly the booster to space once its FAA launch license is approved.^[28]

As of May 2025, the company reported technical and funding challenges, including delays in engine development and shifts in federal support priorities. It is currently raising a $1 million seed round.^[29]

The Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch (MAREVL) is a hybrid rocket engine developed by BluShift, which combines solid biofuel with liquid oxidizer.^[30][31]

BluShift's 2022 hot-fire attempt of MAREVL 2.0, which was ultimately canceled due to ignition failures, intended to target thrust levels between 50 kilonewtons (11,000 lb_f) and 60 kilonewtons (13,000 lb_f), with plans to ramp up to 80 kilonewtons (18,000 lb_f).^[32] The first successful test, conducted on March 1, 2022, generated a peak thrust of approximately 39 kilonewtons (8,800 lb_f).^[33]

The full-scale MAREVL 2.0 engine produces approximately 80 kilonewtons (18,000 lb_f) of thrust while consuming about 30 kilograms (66 lb) of combined propellant per second. The modular design enables multiple engines to be clustered for different vehicle configurations, from small suborbital rockets to larger orbital launch systems.

BluShift utilizes hybrid engines that could provide greater control and safety margins.

BluShift derives its solid fuel from agricultural byproducts, though the specific composition remains confidential. In a June 2024 article, Causeartist reported that Deri had been filmed by CNN eating the fuel^[34] to demonstrate that it is non-toxic. Furthermore, BluShift claims its fuel remains carbon-neutral throughout its lifecycle, as the organic materials absorb carbon dioxide during growth, eventually offsetting combustion emissions. The oxidizer system uses nitrous oxide enhanced with oxygen.

Between 2014 and 2018, MAREVL prototypes underwent extensive testing at BluShift's Brunswick facility, alongside experimental biofuel formulations. In 2019, a scaled-down version completed its test campaign and powered the Stardust mission.

The full-scale MAREVL 2.0 is currently being tested and is intended to include more than 20 static fire tests.^[35] In March 2022, its first test, a 5-second burn, was successfully completed, validating ignition and flow stability. Subsequent tests have progressively extended burn duration and demonstrated throttling capabilities, culminating in the successful 60-second full-duration burn in October 2024.^[36]

Testing infrastructure includes custom-built engine stands capable of safely containing full-scale engines, with data collection systems monitoring thrust levels, combustion characteristics, and thermal performance throughout each test cycle.

The Stardust series served as BluShift's technology demonstrator and testbed for the MAREVL propulsion system. These rockets are launched from a mobile stand that remains horizontal during transport and is then raised vertically at the launch site. The supporting truss structure is approximately three times the height of the rocket and features flame diverters at its base. According to BluShift, the company’s test site and planned manufacturing facilities are designed to be powered by renewable energy. A 2022 report from Mainebiz noted that BluShift’s fuel production, test site, and launchpad are intended to be entirely solar-powered.^[41][42]

On January 31, 2021, Stardust 1 successfully demonstrated the viability of biofuel propulsion. The single-stage reusable prototype carried an 8 kg payload to an altitude of approximately 4,000 feet. Following the flight, BluShift reported that the Stardust 1.0 rocket remained in excellent condition and underwent inspection. The vehicle is now considered retired.^[43][44]

The planned Stardust 2 rocket was expected to increase payload capacity to 30 kg and reach altitudes between 10 and 50 kilometers. However, this program appears to have been superseded by the Starless Rogue program.^[45]

The Starless Rogue represents BluShift's suborbital rocket platform. It is designed to provide 6-10 minutes of microgravity for 30 kg payloads on trajectories up to 300 kilometers altitude. The vehicle also serves as a hypersonic testbed for defense applications.^[46][47]

The two-stage configuration uses clustered MAREVL engines in the first stage, with an upper stage and payload section similar to the planned Stardust 2 design. Starless Rogue Beta serves as a scaled-down, single-stage test version using one MAREVL engine for high-altitude and supersonic testing.

Construction of the first operational Starless Rogue is planned for summer 2025, with launch operations targeted for late 2025 from Spaceport America. The company is pursuing FAA commercial launch licensing, though initial flights may proceed under experimental permits.

Red Dwarf represents BluShift's entry into the orbital launch market, designed to deliver 100 kg payloads to low Earth orbit with a focus on polar and sun-synchronous orbits. The two-stage vehicle will eventually operate on a biweekly launch cadence.^[48]

In February 2022, BluShift announced that it had reduced Red Dwarf from three stages to two while more than tripling payload capacity from 30 kg to 100 kg.^[49] This optimization significantly improved the vehicle's economic viability and competitive position in the small satellite launch market.

The first Red Dwarf launch is planned for 2026, pending the successful Starless Rogue operations and full FAA licensing. Due to Maine's high latitude, the vehicle is optimized for high-inclination and polar orbits; however, the company is also considering operations from Wallops LC-1 and Cape Canaveral LC-48 for different orbital requirements.

BluShift has embedded recovery systems into all of its vehicles. Stardust 1 successfully demonstrated parachute recovery, landing safely in snow for post-flight analysis rather than reflight.^[50]

For future operations, BluShift plans to recover all stages and payload sections of suborbital rockets, including their first and possibly second stages of orbital vehicles, using parachutes for soft splashdown off the coast of Maine. Recovery teams will retrieve the hardware using modified lobster boats.

The company expects stages to handle atmospheric reentry without major issues due to relatively low speeds, with saltwater exposure having minimal impact on refurbishment time. The hybrid rocket design eliminates complex propellant plumbing, enabling simpler refurbishment compared to liquid-fueled systems.

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