Market Entry & Expansion Architecture · Aerospace & Defense

We don't advise aerospace companies — we build them.

The Cislunar Group embeds as executive leadership inside aerospace and defense companies — building the government relationships, market infrastructure, and state-level intelligence required to enter the U.S. market, expand strategically, and win at scale.

Explore Gateway Platform
Defense & Space Policy
30
Years spanning DoD, Congress, and the commercial space industry.
Incentives Secured
$100M+
State and regional incentives secured for clients in the last three years.
Gateway Coverage
15+
U.S. aerospace states profiled across a 67-metric intelligence platform.
Gateway Intelligence Platform

Site selection intelligence built for aerospace & defense

What takes traditional firms several months and $75,000+ — a formatted spreadsheet with narrative commentary — Gateway delivers in days.

67 scored metrics across 10 categories. 15+ U.S. states profiled. Company-specific weighted rankings. Cleared workforce analysis, FOCI regulatory intelligence, and incentive mapping that no competitor offers.

Every report includes a 30-minute advisory call with The Cislunar Group. This is not self-serve analytics — it's advisory-grade intelligence delivered at software speed.

Access Gateway → Request a Sample
Gateway Intelligence Platform

U.S. ExpansionIntelligence Report

Prepared exclusively for [Your Company]
Top Recommendations — 15 States Evaluated
#1
Virginia
★★★★★
Exceptional Fit
#2
Maryland
★★★★☆
Strong Fit
#3
California
★★★★☆
Strong Fit
Category Leadership
Labor
VA
DoD Prox
VA
Cost
IN
Aerospace
CA
Taxes
TX
Regulatory
VA
Infra
NJ
Research
CA
Economy
TX
Risk
OH
Illustrative output. Actual rankings vary by company profile, NAICS code, and priority weights.
Illustrative Gateway premium output
Engagement Models

Built around your company's timeline, scope, and market-entry needs.

Gateway Intelligence Reports are available in three tiers — from a targeted three-state analysis to a comprehensive 15-state, 12-module report with full advisory support. Reports are delivered in days.

Advisory, fractional engagement, and full establishment retainers are structured around your company's specific objectives and timeline.

Learn More →
About & Leadership

Two offices. One industry. Zero outsiders.

The Cislunar Group is a market entry & expansion architecture firm for aerospace and defense — not a consulting firm. We embed inside your company as named executive leadership and build the operational, governmental, and commercial infrastructure that gets you to market, to your site, and to your first major contract.

We are proud to maintain offices in Washington, D.C. and Barcelona. Our Washington office is located in Tysons, Virginia — in Northern Virginia's aerospace and defense hub in Fairfax County, with direct metro access to the nation's capital.

Stephen M. McCall, Founder and Managing Director of The Cislunar Group
Founder Spotlight
Founder & Managing Director
Stephen M. McCall
30 years in U.S. defense policy, space acquisitions, and government affairs. Former Senior Advisor at the Congressional Research Service, U.S. Senate Defense Fellow, and Head of Government Affairs at Firefly Aerospace. Secured more than $100 million in state and local incentives for clients in the last three years.
30
Years in Defense & Space
$20M+
Incentives Secured in last six months
DC · BCN
Operating Footprint
Washington, D.C. • Barcelona
LinkedIn →
38.9187°N · 77.2311°W

Washington, D.C.

Office located in Tysons, Virginia — in Northern Virginia's aerospace and defense hub in Fairfax County, with direct metro access to the nation's capital.

Tysons · Fairfax County, VA
41.3851°N · 2.1734°E

Barcelona, Spain

Europe's New Space ecosystem. Partner to IEEC — the implementing body behind Catalonia's Space 2030 strategy — unlocking direct access to one of Europe's most active government-backed aerospace pipelines.

Named Partner Network
Fairfax Economic Development Authority Virginia
The #1 A&D county in the United States.
IEEC — Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya Spain
Government-backed European aerospace pipeline via Catalonia Space 2030.
Taylor Economic Development Corporation Texas
Central Texas emerging space and defense corridor.
Oklahoma Department of Commerce Oklahoma
Governor-level space sector support and state incentive programs.
Virt Space StrategiesVirginia
Innovative science and technology solutions for DoD space operations, including AI/ML, space logistics, and integrated space fires.
Refraction Innovation Hub McLean, VA
Soft-landing program for international companies entering the U.S. market.
Greenberg Traurig LLP Tysons, VA
FOCI mitigation, ITAR registration, and U.S. entity formation.
Core Services

Three mandates. One industry.

Every engagement maps to one or more of these mandates. We specialize in aerospace, defense, and dual-use technologies.

01

U.S. Market Entry & Expansion

We help international and domestic aerospace companies choose where to land, how to secure the right incentives, and who they need in the room to expand successfully. From site selection analysis to stakeholder engagement, we reduce risk, accelerate timelines, and unlock opportunities most companies never see.

02

Government Affairs & Advocacy

With more than two decades in U.S. Congress, defense policy, and space program management, we guide companies through federal and state engagement. We position clients for funding, legislative visibility, and lasting relationships with the committees and agencies that shape their market.

03

Strategic Partnerships & Incentives

We connect business leaders with economic development organizations, state incentive programs, and defense contractor teaming partners. Our work has secured over $100M in state and regional incentives in the last three years — programs most companies never learn about.

Single point of accountability. Cislunar leads government relations at the state and federal level directly. For legal, tax, immigration, and FOCI mitigation, we coordinate a trusted partner network so your company works with one point of contact — not a dozen vendors.
Track Record

Selected engagements

Client identities are confidential. Results are not.

Melagen Labs → Multi-State Site Selection

Melagen Labs — $4.5M Public-Private Partnership for Radiation Testing Infrastructure

The Cislunar Group led a multi-state site selection process for Melagen Labs across four states and multiple cities before identifying Taylor, Texas as the optimal location. The engagement culminated in a $4.5 million Economic Development Performance Agreement — Taylor's first-ever public-private partnership of this kind — for a nationally significant radiation testing facility. 120 days from concept to announcement.

Click for details
ProcessMulti-state site selection across four states and multiple cities before final selection in Taylor, Texas
Deal$4.5M Economic Development Performance Agreement — Taylor's first-ever public-private partnership of this kind
Founder roleStephen McCall led the full engagement — economic development strategy, public-private partnership architecture, and government relations — from inception through board approval
FacilityCo-60 Radiation Effects Testing & Qualification Center addressing a national radiation testing bottleneck across space, defense, semiconductor, and advanced electronics
Firefly Aerospace → Virginia Launch Expansion

Firefly Aerospace — Virginia Launch Capability After Failed $380K Site Selection Engagement

During his tenure as Head of Government Affairs at Firefly Aerospace, Stephen led the state engagement and site strategy that supported Firefly's Virginia expansion after a traditional site selection engagement failed. The result was a faster path to launch capability at Wallops Island — one of the founder experiences that shaped why The Cislunar Group was built.

Click for details
ContextTraditional site selection firm quoted $500K, engaged at $380K, and was dismissed after five weeks
Founder roleHead of Government Affairs at Firefly Aerospace — led state-level engagement and expansion strategy directly
OutcomeFirefly announced Alpha launch capability at Wallops Island, Virginia, with supporting launch, integration, and administrative infrastructure
Why it mattersThis internal operator experience is part of the origin story behind Cislunar's market-entry and site selection model
Fairfax County EDA → European Soft-Landing Partnership

Fairfax County Economic Development Authority — Founding Partner Collaboration

Active collaboration with Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and Refraction Innovation Hub to position Northern Virginia as a soft-landing destination for European aerospace and defense companies entering the U.S. market. The work bridges European pipeline development, foreign-company intake, and Fairfax County competitive positioning at the front end of market-entry conversations.

Click for details
PartnersFairfax County Economic Development Authority + Refraction Innovation Hub
FocusEuropean aerospace and defense soft-landing pathway into Northern Virginia
RoleBridging European pipeline development, company intake intelligence, and Fairfax County positioning
Project Vector → U.S. Market Entry

Project Vector — NATO DIANA 2026, Fairfax Landing, and Fractional Global Affairs Leadership

Serving as Fractional Chief Global Affairs Officer while leading U.S. market entry for Project Vector, a UK-based stealth company developing multi-mode propulsion and a new way of moving in space. The engagement spans site selection, Fairfax County soft-landing execution, and strategic positioning around grant-backed U.S. expansion.

Click for details
RoleFractional Chief Global Affairs Officer + lead for U.S. market entry strategy in 2026
LocationFairfax County, Virginia — soft-landing program executed for U.S. establishment
ProgramNATO DIANA 2026 · Space Resilience Operations
Award1 of 15 selected from 3,680 applicants · €100,000 awarded
European Institutional Access → Strategic Partnership

IEEC Partnership — Catalonia Space 2030 Pipeline

Structured access into Catalonia's space ecosystem through IEEC, the implementing body behind Catalonia Space 2030 — creating visibility into one of Europe's most active public-backed space pipelines.

Click for details
PartnerInstitut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC)
ScaleCatalonia Space 2030 · €40M+ public investment program
EventSpace Economy Congress 2025 · Barcelona
Panel“Bridging Orbits: Insights into the Space Ecosystems of Asia, Europe, and America”
RolePanel speaker alongside Open Cosmos, Pangea Aerospace, and Green Carbon; chaired by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
Strategic valueDirect visibility into the Catalan and broader European space ecosystem, including the institutional relationships that shape market access
“This facility is about more than testing — it is about building the infrastructure layer that enables the next generation of American space and defense programs. Taylor, Texas gave us the partnership and platform to move fast.”
— Muhammad Hunain, Co-Founder & CEO, Melagen Labs
From concept to a signed $4.5M public-private partnership in 120 days.
For Economic Development Organizations

How states win aerospace companies.

Your competitor state just scored higher on cleared workforce density. A European defense company ranked your region #4 out of 15. Do you even know?

Gateway doesn't just help companies find the right state — it helps the right states find the right companies. When a company runs a Gateway report and your state ranks in the top 3, you get the lead before anyone else — with their full intake profile, priorities, and timeline.

See exactly how you score against peer regions across 67 metrics. Know where to improve. Know who's coming. Be the state that's ready when they call.

Currently partnered with EDOs across 15+ U.S. aerospace states. Limited founding partner positions available.

Inquire About EDO Partnership

Pre-Qualified Lead Alerts

Receive complete company intake profiles — sector, ownership, timeline, facility needs, priorities — before your first intro call. Know exactly what to highlight.

Competitive Intelligence

See how your state scores against peer regions across 67 metrics. Understand where you win and where you need to improve — before companies ask.

Exclusive Lead Window

Founding partners receive a 30-day exclusive on leads targeting their state — securing first-mover advantage on every qualified aerospace company.

Transatlantic Pipeline

Access European A&D companies entering the U.S. market through Cislunar's Barcelona office, IEEC partnership, and EU conference circuit.

Conference Circuit
Space Symposium 2026 · Colorado Springs, CO · April 13–16Attendee
Space Economy Congress 2025 · Barcelona · July 3–4Speaker
World Knowledge Forum 2026 · Seoul · September 8–10Speaker
SmallSat 2026 · Washington, D.C.Attendee
SmallSat Europe · AmsterdamSpeaker
Salamanca Tech SummitAttendee
New Space Congress · BarcelonaSpeaker
Space Symposium 2026 · Colorado Springs, CO · April 13–16Attendee
Space Economy Congress 2025 · Barcelona · July 3–4Speaker
World Knowledge Forum 2026 · Seoul · September 8–10Speaker
SmallSat 2026 · Washington, D.C.Attendee
SmallSat Europe · AmsterdamSpeaker
Salamanca Tech SummitAttendee
New Space Congress · BarcelonaSpeaker
Founding Partner
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
EDO & Institutional Partners
Taylor Economic Development Corporation
Oklahoma Department of Commerce
Tulsa Regional Chamber
Space Florida
Engagement Models

How we work with clients

Every relationship is structured around outcomes. We embed, build, and deliver — then stay as long as you need us.

Fractional C-Suite

Embedded as Chief Global Affairs Officer or VP Government Relations
Full government relations program management
Board-level strategic advisory & institutional representation
Congressional, DoW, and state agency engagement

Gateway Intelligence

12-module intelligence reports starting at $795
67 scored metrics across 10 weighted categories
15+ U.S. aerospace & defense states profiled
Company-specific scoring with advisory call included

Site Selection & Foreign Direct Investment

State identification, shortlisting & coordinated site visits
Foreign direct investment strategy for international A&D companies entering the U.S. market
State & regional incentive negotiation — $100M+ secured to date
Direct EDO introductions & relationship management
Full U.S. establishment — entity formation, facility selection, and stakeholder coordination

Government Relations & Strategic Advisory

Federal & state government engagement strategy
Defense committee & appropriations advocacy
FOCI mitigation & ITAR/EAR compliance planning
Defense contractor teaming & partnership architecture

Ready to build something that matters?

Whether you're a European space startup eyeing the U.S. market, a defense contractor expanding to a new state, or an EDO competing for aerospace companies — we're the architecture firm that gets you there.

Thank you. We've received your inquiry and will be in touch shortly.

Or reach us directly:

info@cislunar.eu

Initial website inquiries are processed through FormSubmit before reaching The Cislunar Group.

cislunar.eu
The Cislunar Group
cislunargateway.com
Gateway Intelligence Platform
LinkedIn
Follow us
Washington, D.C.  ·  Barcelona, Spain