Help Us Get
to Space
Materials, machining, expert advice and funding turn our designs into flight hardware. Partners on The Guinea Pig are part of the first flight of a company building a fully reusable launch service.
Discuss a PartnershipWays to Partner
Hardware & Manufacturing
Materials, machining, fabrication and practical support for The Guinea Pig, its engine test stand and ground systems.
Technical Knowledge
Mentorship and engineering insight that strengthen decisions, test planning and the quality of the evidence.
Program Support
Funding and services tied to specific hardware milestones. The Phase 1 program budget is $500,000 for 2027, including about $150,000 of flight and test hardware.
Where the $500K Goes
Funding partners can see exactly what the Phase 1 program pays for. Support can also be tied to a specific line, such as hardware or the test stand.
- Team Wages
- $170K to $215K20 to 25 people at about 10 hours a week, including payroll tax
- Flight and Test Hardware
- $150KVehicle, Big Piggy engines, test stand and ground systems, with spares for failed tests
- Insurance
- $35K to $50KLiability coverage for engine testing and launch
- Workshop Lease
- $24KAbout $2,000 a month in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, for 2027
- Reserve
- $60K to $120KUnallocated margin for schedule slips and cost growth
- Phase 1 total, 2027
- $500,000
Estimates for the full 2027 Phase 1 program. The itemized lines come to about $380,000 to $440,000; the rest of the $500,000 target is held as reserve.
Become a
Partner
Tell us what you can contribute and how you would like to be involved. Partnership arrangements are discussed directly with the team.