Rock West Composites Adds StratoPultrusion Products for Space Structures

Updated on August 15, 2026 • 4 min read

Rock West Composites (RWC) has expanded its space-grade product portfolio with the addition of StratoPultrusion, a new range of pultruded composite components developed for spacecraft structures and deployable systems.

Developed in partnership with Netherlands-based DPP Pultrusion, the new products are intended to address demand for truss structures and other space deployables, while offering standardized components that can be ordered without going through a fully customized development program.

The launch extends RWC’s existing Strato product family, which includes composite plates, sandwich panels and solar array substrates for low Earth orbit (LEO), geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO) and deep-space applications.

Pultruded Composite Rods and Tubes Target Space Applications

The initial StratoPultrusion offering includes composite rods and tubes engineered around requirements encountered in space environments.

According to RWC, key material characteristics include:

• Low outgassing
• Low to zero coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
• High modulus
• Low creep behavior
• Wide operational temperature range

These properties are particularly relevant to structural members that must retain dimensional stability as spacecraft experience large temperature variations.

Pultrusion also provides a continuous manufacturing route for producing composite profiles with consistent cross-sectional geometries, making the process applicable to rods, tubes and other structural profiles.

RWC Targets 4-8-Week Lead Times

One of the main objectives behind StratoPultrusion is reducing the procurement time associated with space-grade composite structures.

RWC says the new rods and tubes will be available with lead times of approximately four to eight weeks and can be purchased through its ecommerce platform.

This differs from conventional custom composite procurement, where engineering, tooling, qualification and manufacturing requirements can extend project schedules.

RWC says the predesigned approach also eliminates non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs associated with these standard products.

The company states that it is not aware of another supplier currently offering predesigned space-grade pultruded components combining zero NRE costs with comparable turnaround times.

Traceability Built Into Every Component

For aerospace and space programs, material documentation and manufacturing traceability can be as important as the physical component itself.

RWC says each StratoPultrusion order includes a certificate package covering dimensional inspection, material certification, traceability and certificate of conformance.

Individual products are also serialized to maintain component-level traceability.

Depending on the product and customer requirements, additional verification options can include full traveler verification, resin content testing, short-beam shear testing and ASTM test specimen coupons.

Pultrusion Could Support Lightweight Space Deployables

The partnership between RWC and DPP Pultrusion is specifically targeting applications such as space trusses and deployable structures.

These systems can require lightweight structural members that combine stiffness with dimensional stability and predictable performance across changing thermal environments.

Rather than developing every rod or tube as a bespoke component, the StratoPultrusion model provides spacecraft developers with standardized composite profiles designed around space-use requirements.

This approach could be particularly relevant as satellite manufacturers and other space companies seek to shorten development schedules while maintaining the material documentation required for demanding missions.

More StratoPultrusion Products Are Planned

The launch is not expected to stop with the current rod and tube portfolio.

Rock West Composites says additional pultruded products are already in its development pipeline, indicating that the Strato family could expand into a broader range of standardized space-grade composite structures.

For RWC, the strategy combines two increasingly important requirements in the space supply chain: advanced composite performance and shorter component procurement cycles.

By pairing space-oriented material properties with standardized designs, documented traceability and four-to-eight-week lead times, StratoPultrusion aims to make specialized composite structural components more readily accessible for future satellite, deployable and deep-space programs.

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