The Unsung Heroes of Space Exploration: Haskel's Role in Pioneering the Final Frontier

Nearly 60 years after the first moon landing, space exploration continues to captivate our imagination, driven by our curiosity and desire to push beyond known boundaries. Over these decades, our reliable high-pressure components and equipment have been the unsung heroes enabling humanity to achieve the unimaginable in space. In the unforgiving environment of space, every component must perform flawlessly, making reliability a necessity. Haskel established itself early on as a beacon of dependability, contributing significantly to space exploration with its high-quality high-pressure components. From the early days of the aerospace industry to modern day endeavors with leading space companies, Haskel's technology has been instrumental in ensuring mission success and safety.

Our legacy

In the late 40’s Haskel supplied high-pressure system components, to the government as scientists and engineers were just beginning to advance the field of space flight. Haskel’s first hydraulic booster was born in 1954, used with nitrogen and helium for missile technology. The booster also supported the very first rocket programs with NACA, even before NASA was established. This was soon followed by one of humanity’s most celebrated achievements – the moon landing. At that time, Haskel played a critical role on the launchpad by providing ground support equipment essential for the mission’s success. To this day, we continue to support pioneers of space exploration with helium blanketing and testing.

Haskel’s advances in modern technology were gateways to advancements for government programs developing propulsion and rocketry technologies. Innovations driven by space exploration have since contributed to everyday life, from solar panels to implantable heart monitors, cancer therapy, lightweight materials, water-purification systems, improved computing systems, and a global search-and-rescue system. Beyond disaster warnings, climate monitoring, and improved humanitarian response, advances in space will have a broader impact on humanity than ever.

Our applications today

Today, Haskel continues to support space exploration with high-pressure equipment, including advanced gas compressors and valves used by some of the industry’s major players. Indeed, the company’s gas boosting technology is now considered a critical component in the industry’s leading ground support equipment. Most recently, Haskel’s Q-Drive electric drive gas compressor - built with hydraulic booster technology offers space agencies enhanced reliability, for significant maintenance savings in both cost, and time.

Haskel experts also support university space programs by donating equipment and sharing knowledge. For example, we have worked closely with Purdue University, known as the "cradle of astronauts," to minimize helium waste in pressure-fed rocket design. Haskel donated a high-pressure gas booster to elevate the pressure of the helium supply cylinder, enabling the cylinder to fill the rocket with helium up to 650 bar, significantly reducing costs and improving efficiency. We’ve also sponsored other university rocketry programs like the University of British Columbia’s UBC Rocket Team, the first university to perform a static test fire on Canadian soil.

Industry partnerships underscore Haskel's commitment to innovation and excellence in the aerospace sector. Collaboration is pivotal in enabling the development of next-generation equipment, where precise control and reliability are vital. Haskel has established itself as the “go-to” supplier for industry leaders looking for ground support equipment – large or small.

Haskel quality assurance

As humanity looks to the stars with renewed interest and we strive to push the boundaries of what is possible, Haskel stands ready to meet the evolving needs of our aerospace customers. As part of our efforts, we’ve gained AS9100D certification for our Burbank facility and our state-of-the-art cleaning facilities include Class 100 (ISO 9001/AS9100 Certified Class 5), Class 1,000 (ISO 6) and Class 10,000 (ISO 7) clean rooms. This is a testament to Haskel's strict quality management practices, and the team's dedication to continuous improvement across every aspect of our operations.

Our legacy of almost 80 years in compression and valve technology, paired with our commitment to continuous innovation in the aerospace sector, means we can be trusted partners in exploring the final frontier now and into the future.

Explore Haskel’s high-pressure products for space here:

• Air-driven liquid pumps
• Air-driven gas boosters
• Air-driven oxygen gas boosters
• Hydraulic gas boosters
• Electric servo gas booster compressors
• High-pressure valves