Company

Founded in 2008, ZPFC is focused on designing the future. Our company is building a leading hub of technical research and development for complex systems centered around five technical domains: space, energy, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and robotics. ZPFC’s philosophy is to question and rethink old paradigms in these domains and develop unique and agile applications using the latest state-of-the-art technologies and processes.

Within only a few years of operation, ZPFC has assisted numerous government and commercial agencies. ZPFC has supported multiple vehicle and technology trade studies for the Ares Launch Projects and later the Space Launch System (SLS). ZPFC’s work has also been integral to NASA’s efforts to identify the key requirements, configurations, missions, and propulsion systems needed to shape heavy-lift launch vehicles for human missions beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO). This work demonstrates the company’s ability to operate in several areas:

• leading complex, multidimensional trades
• applying rocket engine technology to vehicle designs and missions
• understanding performance cost and risk parameters, trends, and sensitivities for vehicle concepts
• propulsion system integration
• disruptive cost and supply chain approaches

Check out our Projects for more information.

Vision

Zero Point Frontiers believes that a better future begins by working on it today.

We work with Space, Energy, Nanotechnology, Robotics, and Biotechnology because those technologies are changing the world. Starting from that “zero point,” we engineer great and cool ideas to make them realities.

Phase 0: Establish ourselves in the Space domain, identify and extract knowledge, pursue technologies, and support existing projects within NASA, DoD, and commercial environments.

Phase 1: Mature our Space business to enter the next domain: Energy. Work both sectors simultaneously; leverage the expertise and processes we develop with Space to create a harmony between the two sectors.

Phase 2: Develop a repeatable process for entering and establishing business in the other domains: Biotech, Robotics, and Nanotech. Become the Zero Point of all of these domains. Systematically pursue more ambitious research and development projects in all of these sectors.

Leadership

Jason Hundley is a founder of ZPFC.

His experience within the aerospace industry has included civil, commercial, and military organizations. As a SME at ZPFC, he has conducted technology forecasting, strategy and scenario planning, human spaceflight architecture design and analysis for the multiple NASA centers and organizations to include SLS, Constellation, NASA Human Exploration Framework Team, NASA Lunar Lander Altair, NASA EVA Project Office, NASA GRC payload accommodations office, NASA HQ Advanced Strategy Office. Mr. Hundley has analyzed long-range tradeoffs of program alternatives, and modeled scenarios for special studies with long-range program options. He has been assembling and building high-performance and focused teams for the last 20 years. He also recently served as the Systems Engineering Lead for the Virgin Galactic LauncherOne team during the DARPA ALASA program, which was responsible for developing the development and production plan for a low-cost and commercially-developed launch system.

Mr. Hundley has held senior engineering and management roles at other companies such as Orion Propulsion where he developed the Firm Fixed Price Development approach, mass properties and affordability models for the Bigelow Sundancer Forward Attitude Control System. He also led the system engineering and technology development program at Miltec Ducommun for developing low cost sensors for engine nozzles and failure prediction analysis for Integrated System Health Monitoring. Previous to that he was an Advanced Systems and Test Development Engineer at Northrop Grumman for numerous civil space military space and advanced aircraft systems. He has been published in NASA TechBriefs 2006 and is an author of numerous papers for the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and International Astronautical Federation (IAF).

Mr. Hundley earned Master of Science degrees in Project Management and Mechanical Engineering (with an Aerospace Concentration) from Villanova University and George Washington University, respectively. He also earned his Bachelors degrees in Physics and Mathematics from Wright State University.

He is a member of the AIAA Space Transportation Technical Committee where he is working on the 5th Edition of the International Guide to Space Launch Systems.

Culture

ZPFC’s culture is about getting incredible work done in an environment that leads to the growth and happiness of the whole person.

We’re a team here, and we believe in working together as well as playing together. At ZPFC, we’re interested in the astounding things our people can accomplish, and maximizing each employee’s potential. We focus on enhancing our natural talents instead of worrying about improving weaknesses. In fact, we offer a Strengths Finder test upon hiring to foster this philosophy. We team people up based on compatible strengths since it makes working together crazy easy.

As a lean, small business we encourage the adoption of new technologies and innovations, along with sharing new knowledge with colleagues through zpMELTs: Meet, Eat, Learn & Teach. These are internal sessions to come up to speed on the latest and greatest…anything!

The intangibles of our company compose the culture, including the scavenger hunt rolled into your first day, the dessert contest during the summer picnic that may or may not be rigged, and engineering the future together by pushing the frontier forward every day.

If you need a quick understanding of what working at ZPFC is like, “Work hard, have fun, and engineer the future” describes our work environment nicely. Our emphasis is to treat everyone within the company as a professional. This environment leads to a lot of personal and team responsibility.

Some aspects of our environment:

• Minimal policies and processes to prevent bureaucracy growth
• Open working environment without cubicles or offices
• Strength-based talent maximizing program
• A collaborative philosophy where everyone contributes
• Flexible working hours

Benefits for Full-Time Employees

• 100% company-paid Health and Dental Plan (no employee premiums)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)/Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) available
• Smartphone technology reimbursement
• 11 holidays and 1 floating holiday
• 401(k) Safe Harbor plan with profit sharing