Pioneer Astronautics recieved a Phase 2 Contract from NASA for Lunar Materials Handling System.
In the March 2006 issue of NASA Tech Briefs (Vol.30 No.3) an article about the METAMARS project was listed, written by Anthony Muscatello, Robert Zubrin, and Mark Berggren.
- Muscatello, Anthony C., Robert Zubrin, and Mark Berggren. “Generating Aromatics From CO2 on Mars or Natural Gas on Earth.” NASA Tech Briefs Mar. 2006: Vol.30 No.3: 52
In the March 2006 issue of Business 2.0 Pioneer Astronautics was listed as a case study for “The Startup” in propulsion sciences. Michael Behar, has case studies listed for:
- ‘Corporate Strategy’/’Space Networking’ :: Cisco Systems
- Headquarters:San Jose; Employees:39,262; 2005 Revenues:$24.8 billion
- R&D/Life Sciences :: Dynamac
- Headquarters:Rockville, MD; Employees:300; 2005 Revenues:$35million
- The Startup/Propulsion :: Pioneer Astronautics
- Headquarters:Lakewood, CO; Employees:13; 2005 Revenues:$1 million
Michael Behar, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to the Galaxy. Business 2.0 Mar. 2006: 70
Pioneer Astronautics has demonstrated a new technology for flying around Mars.
The new flight system is called a gashopper. The vehicle system works by acquiring CO2 from the Martian atmosphere with a pump (Mars atmosphere is 95% CO2) , storing it in liquid form, then sending it through a preheated pellet bed to turn it into hot rocket exhaust to produce thrust for a flight vehicle.