Los Angeles has long been at the center of aerospace innovation, from the early days of aviation to today’s race to space. What was once the realm of government agencies is now driven by a mix of scrappy startups and global giants building rockets, satellites, autonomous defense systems and even zero-emission aircraft.
With companies like SpaceX and Anduril pushing launch technology forward and others tackling everything from orbital security to electric flight, LA’s aerospace ecosystem is shaping the next era of exploration and defense.
Top Aerospace Companies in LA
Relativity Space
SpaceX
Rocket Lab
Northrup Grumman
Slingshot Aerospace
Ten Tech
Wright Electric Airplanes
Top Aerospace Companies Near Los Angeles
Founded: 1939
Northrop Grumman Systems is a global security company with an aerospace sector that builds military aircraft and space systems. Its technology supports surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence, Earth observation and space exploration. In September 2026, the company delivered its first batch of data relay satellites to Vandenberg Space Force Base for the Space Development Agency’s proliferated low Earth orbit constellation.
Founded: 2017
Lucid Circuit develops AI-enabled chips for satellites, including its Astrum processor, which is designed for edge processing aboard spacecraft. Built to withstand radiation and other harsh space conditions, the chips accommodate power-efficient machine learning and blockchain capabilities while on board a satellite, letting the spacecraft gather, process and store data at higher volumes and in much quicker times than traditional technologies. The company, based in Santa Monica, also builds tools that predict radiation-related vulnerabilities in chip designs before fabrication, supporting more reliable aerospace hardware.
Founded: 2022
True Anomaly combines technical and space domain expertise to build autonomous spacecraft for space security missions. Jackal, its autonomous orbital vehicle, is designed for rendezvous and proximity operations with advanced maneuvering capabilities and a modular payload configuration. In 2026, the company’s fourth Jackal spacecraft began operations under the U.S. Space Force’s VICTUS HAZE Tactically Responsive Space demonstration, working alongside Rocket Lab to track and image a target spacecraft in low-Earth orbit.
Founded: 2021
Outpost Space develops reusable vehicles that return payloads from orbit to Earth with precision landing accuracy. Its in-development CarryAll vehicle combines a deployable heat shield, drogue parachute and robotic paraglider to guide cargo to a specific landing site, with an inaugural orbital mission targeted for 2028. In 2024, the company also secured a four-year Air Force Ventures STRATFI contract to help fund development and testing of the heat shield, payload bus and paraglider system.
Founded: 2011
Ten Tech LLC provides engineering and software solutions for manufacturers that help develop more advanced and safer products at lower costs. The company offers expertise on a wide range of areas including aerospace, defense, avionics packaging and airborne electronics. It also holds status as a VITA 48.7 Air Flow-By design-capable supplier, applying the open standard to cool OpenVPX processing systems on manned and unmanned airborne platforms.
Founded: 2002
SpaceX is an aerospace and aviation company designing spacecraft and rockets, with a facility in Hawthorne, California. Founded by Elon Musk in 2002, the company was the first private business to return a commercial spacecraft from low-Earth orbit and continues to fly cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station. In September 2026, its Starship rocket reached orbit for the first time, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites during its fourteenth test flight, a step toward using the vehicle for NASA moon missions and regular satellite launches.
Founded: 2015
Relativity Space engineers and manufactures rockets at its Long Beach facility to support growing demand for orbital launch capacity. Terran R, the company’s medium-to-heavy lift reusable rocket, serves government and commercial customers, and NASA added it to its Launch Services II contract in September 2026, extending its eligibility for future missions. Relativity plans to launch Terran R from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with production and testing centered at its Southern California facilities.
Founded: 2006
Rocket Lab, headquartered in Long Beach, California, delivers small satellites to low-Earth orbit aboard its Electron rocket, which carries payloads of up to 300 kilograms. The company operates launch sites in New Zealand and at Wallops Island, Virginia, and is developing Neutron, a medium-lift reusable rocket targeting its first flight in 2026.
Founded: 1916
Boeing is an aerospace company with an international and extraterrestrial footprint, engineering satellites, defense systems and space hardware out of its facility in El Segundo. In September 2026, Boeing completed delivery of the final three O3b mPOWER satellites, closing out a 13-satellite constellation built for SES, and in June 2026 the U.S. Space Force awarded Boeing a contract to extend a military communications satellite program. Members of its team can access a broad variety of benefits including 401(k) matching, parental leave, paid holidays and tuition reimbursement.
Founded: 2016
Wright Electric Airplanes is developing a family of zero-emission commercial aircraft for short-haul routes, aiming to make regional air travel emissions-free within 10 years. Its Wright Spirit program retrofits the BAe 146 airframe into a 100-seat, one-hour electric aircraft, while the larger Wright 1 is designed to carry 186 passengers up to 800 miles and is slated to enter service by 2030. The company has tested a 2.5-megawatt electric motor as part of its propulsion system development and works with airlines including easyJet and VivaAerobus.
Founded: 2016
Slingshot Aerospace works with aerospace system integrators and data providers to offer geospatial insights to both private industries and government. Slingshot’s machine learning platform connects to the data streams of satellites and other aerial vehicles, fusing tracking data, astrodynamics and artificial intelligence into web portals and APIs so its clients can solve industry-specific challenges. In July 2026, the company won a U.S. Space Force contract to build MENTAT, an AI-powered mission rehearsal and training system that combines live orbital data with its Digital Space Twin technology to help Space Force Guardians prepare for space defense scenarios.
