Singapore’s Nandina REM Pushes Recycled Aircraft Materials Into the Space Race

Nandina REM, a Singapore startup that recycles aerospace-grade carbon fibre and metal alloys from retired aircraft, has signed an exclusive procurement and supply deal with US-based Odyssey Space, creating a supply channel for its materials into space hardware.

The agreement gives Odyssey exclusive access to Nandina’s high-purity circular carbon and phenolic felt batting and yarns for aerospace, defence and commercial space applications.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The companies will initially explore uses in thermal protection systems, advanced space structures, orbital research hardware and other commercial applications where strong, lightweight and heat-resistant materials can improve manufacturing efficiency, ensure reliable sourcing and extend hardware performance in orbit.

Phenolic materials are less familiar outside the aerospace industry, but their value lies in their ability to withstand extreme heat. In space hardware, phenolic resin is often combined with carbon materials to form protective layers that char or wear away in a controlled manner, helping dissipate heat from spacecraft during atmospheric entry or re-entry.

For Odyssey, the deal targets a structural constraint in commercial space development: the cost and availability of specialist materials. Space-grade carbon and phenolic materials are critical for structures that must survive the vacuum, radiation and thermal extremes of orbital flight and atmospheric re-entry — conditions that eliminate most conventional materials.

“For decades, the high cost and long lead times of specialised space-grade materials have constrained commercial space development,” said Jennifer Lopez, CEO of Odyssey Space. A predictable, lower-cost supply of high-purity materials, she said, could reduce a significant capital barrier for commercial partners, from biopharmaceutical researchers to advanced manufacturers, helping move commercial spaceflight from a proof-of-concept phase into a viable industrial ecosystem.

Nandina has built its business around reclaiming carbon fibre from decommissioned aircraft and reprocessing it for high-specification industrial uses. The company says its technology allows recovered carbon fibre to retain aerospace-grade mechanical integrity while lowering manufacturing costs.

The technology was developed in partnership with A*STAR, Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research, through Nandina’s membership of A*STAR’s Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre.

Singapore’s Economic Development Board previously featured the company’s work as part of the country’s push to build advanced manufacturing and circular materials capabilities.

In February 2026, Nandina REM announced Singapore’s first commercially scaled carbon fibre production facility, at Tai Seng Exchange, making it the only aerospace and defence-grade carbon fibre producer in Southeast Asia. The company says the facility is designed to serve sectors including aerospace, defence, energy and unmanned systems.

Nandina REM is also supported by Halliburton Labs, the Houston-based platform that helps early-stage companies scale energy and climate-related technologies. Halliburton Labs said earlier this year that Nandina’s technology reduces costs, supports faster production and helps companies build more resilient supply chains.

The Odyssey agreement opens a new market for Nandina REM beyond aviation and industrial manufacturing. For Singapore, it marks an entry into a supply chain usually dominated by larger aerospace and space manufacturing centres in the US and the EU.

“This agreement demonstrates that circular materials can meet the rigid performance standards required for deep-tech infrastructure,” said Karina Cady, co-founder and CEO of Nandina REM. Odyssey would provide the design and technical execution needed to integrate the company’s materials into future orbital platforms, she added.

Odyssey is a US-based space systems and mission management company supporting civil, commercial, scientific and national security space initiatives. It develops spacecraft, payloads and scientific instruments spanning astrophysics, planetary science, Earth observation, human spaceflight, life sciences and advanced space technologies. The company works across low Earth orbit and cislunar research, integrated flight hardware and high-performance optical systems.

The deal comes as commercial interest in space continues to widen beyond satellites and launch vehicles. A 2024 report by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey, titled Space: The $1.8 Trillion Opportunity for Global Economic Growth, projected that the global space economy could reach that figure by 2035, from $630 billion in 2023, driven by lower costs and wider adoption of communications, positioning, navigation and Earth observation services.

For now, the Nandina-Odyssey alliance is less about a finished spacecraft component and more about the infrastructure behind future space hardware. The companies said the agreement could shorten development timelines for Odyssey-managed orbital research payloads and create a lower-cost route for commercial, scientific and government customers operating in life sciences, aerospace, defence, advanced materials, semiconductors and energy.

The bigger signal is that recycled aircraft materials are now reaching markets once closed to them. If Nandina REM can prove performance at scale, retired aircraft could become a source of specialist materials for the next generation of aerospace and space systems.