Aevum was founded in 2016 by Jay Skylus. To truly open space access for the next generation, Jay knew he must create a comprehensive global space transport system. For what good does it serve the world to mass produce thousands of rockets, depleting both financial and natural resources, to sit dormant awaiting missions if he could create a global fleet of reusable and autonomous launch vehicles the world could have access to when needed?
In addition to the physical process of launching to space, Aevum understands the barriers to space also include software, satellite deployment planning, regulatory compliance, insurance, and so much more. Aevum's transport solutions take care of the entire value chain so space operators and businesses can focus on their value propositions.
Aevum technologies power the next generation of businesses. We are here to support the scientists, researchers, businesswomen, and visionaries of today become the leaders of tomorrow, to improve our lives on Earth.
Jay Skylus is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Engineer of the Aether Transport System of Aevum. Jay establishes the corporate direction and is responsible for leading all facets of the company including product development. He has a proven track record in aerospace leadership that includes the design and hot fire of seven different rocket engines, development of six launch vehicles, and the growth of four space startups prior to Aevum.
After coming across the news of U.S. soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan in 2005 and learning that limited access to space was stifling technologies that could save millions of lives, Jay Skylus resolved to democratize the access to space. He began his work by researching launch vehicle design philosophies and combustion dynamics. To fund his research, Jay operated a successful business in high school by writing software that sourced, transacted, matched, and shipped automotive OEM hardware quickly by tapping into the backend of car forums on the Internet. By age 16, he put together his first internal combustion engine followed by attempts to build a benchtop wind tunnel and a rocket engine. Jay went on to earn his bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics and Physics with a Theoretical Concentration from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2.5 years.
Jay’s aerospace career includes leadership launch positions in legacy companies, government agencies, and the commercial space sector - an advantageous, comprehensive background most space startup founders do not have. At the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR), he helped develop an autonomous interplanetary shockwave detection technology that could improve NOAA's early space weather forecast capabilities for satellites in near-Earth orbits. Following CSPAR, he helped develop and test nuclear fuel elements for the next generation of nuclear thermal rockets (NTR) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It was during his time at NASA MSFC that NASA engineers and directors mentored Jay to help him achieve his dream of democratizing space access.
Following his nuclear work, Jay led a small team in the design, build, and demonstration of an in-orbit servicing spacecraft platform capable of autonomous rendezvous and docking in NASA's Flight Robotics Laboratory. His work in space weather and nuclear rockets was published at the International Astronautical Congress in Naples, Italy, where he was one of the youngest speakers at the time. Following NASA, Jay worked to design and hot fire the rocket engines at Moon Express, which went on to win a milestone prize of $1.25 million from the Google Lunar XPrize. Jay’s other notable positions include Propulsion Systems Integration and Analysis at Boeing, Chief Engineer of Conspire Technology (predecessor of Aevum), and other commercial small launch programs.
