Secure Sensitive Payloads With Proven Protection
Whether on the frontlines or across the Karman Line into deep space, vehicle payloads play a pivotal role in carrying out the missions that serve our nation. So, when essential assets must endure extreme conditions and operate in challenging circumstances, prime suppliers require technologies that can execute without error.
At Karman, we leverage decades of engineering experience to engineer jettison-ready aerodynamically sound encapsulation and low-shock deployment solutions that protect sensitive payloads without exception. Our payload solutions have a 100% flight success rate and are backed by proven analysis and testing approaches that ensure every Karman solution is relentlessly reliable.
Karman Deployable Shrouds
As part of our shroud systems, we design and engineer initiation systems and energetics that are designed for the mission to ensure system safety.
Karman flight-proven shrouds have been successfully deployed and operated in extreme environments with consistent mission success!
Ensuring Reliable Deployment and Safe Operation
Operating from fire command to the final flight phase, Karman’s whole-system solutions provide the reliability required to execute some of the most complex tasks in Space and Defense. With comprehensive design capabilities, we enable mission-critical functions from electrical signaling to safe separation.
Through rigorous environmental and flight testing, our technology is designed to operate with a razor-thin margin of error and can execute exceptionally in even the most challenging circumstances. With wide-ranging in-house manufacturing capabilities and a wider bench of field-proven designs, we also drive key project improvements like reducing system size, weight, and overall performance risk.
Energetic Systems
Partner with a proven leader in the design, analysis, test, and production of energetic systems that use a solid propellant main charge. Very few companies, if any, have designed systems with as many configurations of solid propellants as we have, demonstrating our extensive expertise to fulfill your most vital mission requirements. We empower elevated system performance by tailoring grain composition and configuration and leveraging well-characterized propellants to ensure reliability and mission success.
Karman’s ordnance engineers have decades of expertise in propellant grain design, performance optimization, and system qualification for critical missions from missile defense to crewed space flight.
Karman systems include launch systems, separation systems, pyroactuator systems, emergency egress systems and more.
Initiation Systems
Empower unfaltering system protection and operation with electronic safe & arm solutions, firesets, and interrupter devices. Our ensured system performance is backed by extensive experience in the design and qualification of safe & arm and initiation systems for all DoD services and a range of safety systems for hypersonics, missiles, and launch vehicles. Leveraging deep domain knowledge of Defense and Space specification requirements, we tailor targeted design approaches to meet mission standards and make mission success certain.
We rigorously evaluate and optimize initiation systems, ensuring they are qualified to comply with key Specification Design Standards, including JOTP-52, Mil-Std-1901A, RCC-319, Mil-Std-331, Mil-Std-464, Mil-DTL-23659, and AIAA-S-113.
Cutting-Edge Materials. Comprehensive Manufacturing.
A leading US manufacturer of SRM nozzle assemblies and thermal protection, Karman is a proven partner to primes in meeting the ever-evolving demands of hypersonic and aerospace markets. Our end-to-end manufacturing capabilities can meet any material solution need, including everything from resin and material production to whole system design, production, and qualification. Additionally, by emphasizing the identification and maturation of promising materials and processes, we continually uncover new ways to reduce project costs and lower lead times.
Karman’s High Temperature Ablatives and Material Solutions Include:
- Carbon Carbon
- Polymer Matrix Composites
- Oxide-based Ceramics
- Carbon Phenolic
- Silica Phenolic
Karman materials are in production for hypersonic and strategic thermal protection systems (TPS) and for support of Solid Rocket Motor Nozzle Assemblies
Our Payload Solutions
Shroud Systems
Reinforce missile and launch payloads with front-end protection designed to reduce drag, and shock and bolster structural strength.
- Engineering, Design & Analysis
- Material Selection
- Initiation, Safe & Arm
- Deployment System
- System Integration & Assembly
- Turn Key Solution
Payload Carriage and Release Systems
Safely and effectively dispense mission-critical payloads with integrated systems that prioritize precision.
- Engineering, Design & Analysis
- Launch Tube Systems for Air-Launch
- Launch Canisters for Ground-Launch
- Payload Launch Systems
- Payload Retention & Release Systems
- Palletized Systems
Payload Integration Systems
Our integration system competencies cover a wide range, including launch tubes and PODs that utilize solid propellant gas generator – powered payload retention, release and deployment.
- Engineering, Design & Analysis
- Near-Zero Shock Payload Release
- Pyroactuation Systems
- Electromechanical Systems
- Surface Launch Systems
- Air-Launch Systems
- Payload Deployment (See Payload Carriage & Release)
Thermal Protection Materials & Heat Shields
To ensure optimum performance and thermal protection, Karman solutions incorporate a robust suite of ablative and non-ablative high-temperature materials, including advanced MG resin-based materials. Materials include: Carbon Carbon, Polymer Matrix Composites, Oxide-based Ceramics, Carbon Phenolic and Silica Phenolic.
Safeguard sensitive payloads from extreme heat conditions with shielding solutions shaped to serve mission needs.
- Engineering, Design & Analysis
- Material Selection
- Thermal Protection
- Turn Key Solution
Recovery Systems
Protect payloads, vehicle subsystems, and propulsion units upon reentry and position them for effective recovery.
- Engineering, Design & Analysis
- Recovery Systems Architecture
- Parachute Mortar Systems
- Separation Systems
- Inflatable Technologies
