Zenno Relocates to US for Superconducting Market Capture
New Zealand-based Zenno Astronautics is moving its headquarters to Los Angeles to scale production of its Z01 Supertorquer and tap into the dense American aerospace sector.
Terminal Entry: Strategic Redomicile
Auckland-born Zenno Astronautics has confirmed plans to relocate its primary operations to the United States. According to SpaceNews, CEO Max Arshavsky is currently securing facility space in Los Angeles, citing the city's unparalleled density of aerospace partners, talent, and venture capital.
Zenno, founded in 2017 by Arshavsky and Sebastian Wieczorek, specializes in high-temperature superconducting magnets for spacecraft attitude control and radiation shielding. The move follows the successful June flight demonstration of the Z01 Supertorquer—a superconducting magnetic actuator—aboard Impulse Space’s Mira satellite. The mission validated the hardware as a commercially ready alternative for satellite stabilization.
Industrial Scaling
The transition to a US-based entity is a tactical play for scale. Arshavsky stated that the Los Angeles hub will allow for production volumes unattainable at their current New Zealand facilities. The new site is expected to be operational by September or October, staffed by a mix of relocated Kiwi specialists and local American hires.
Orbital Sustainability
Beyond immediate Earth-orbit applications, Zenno maintains a long-term roadmap focused on lunar infrastructure. The company’s vision centers on "living off the land" by utilizing high-temperature superconductors to harness available space energy, potentially shielding habitats or enabling cislunar transit.
Financed by a $6.12 million (NZD) seed round in 2022 and subsequent investment from Mitsubishi Electric Corp.’s Innovation Fund, Zenno aims to integrate into the Southern California ecosystem to bolster US leadership in superconducting space technologies and national security applications.