KinetX

KinetX, Inc. (also known as KinetX Aerospace) is a privately held Tempe, Arizona based aerospace engineering, technology, software development and business consulting firm specializing in spaceflight systems. KinetX's main area of expertise is in the areas of interplanetary navigation, satellite systems engineering, ground system software development.

KinetX, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryAerospace
Founded1992 (1992)
Headquarters
Tempe, Arizona
Services
Websitekinetx.com

KinetX is the first and only private company to ever provide navigation services for NASA interplanetary missions.[1][2] Their Space Navigation and Flight Dynamics (SNAFD) division, based in Simi Valley, California, has provided mission navigation for the MESSENGER mission to Mercury, the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, and the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission.[1][3] They are also providing mission navigation for the Emirates Mars Mission[4] and NASA's upcoming Lucy mission to the Trojan asteroids.[5]

Company history

KinetX, Inc. was founded in 1992 and was approached shortly thereafter by Motorola for assistance in developing and implementing the Iridium satellite constellation ground system. In early 1993, several members of KinetX began working on the systems engineering for the Iridium command and control system. KinetX later provided engineering support and software development for companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Aerojet, Spectrum Astro, and TRW.[1]

The Space Navigation and Flight Dynamics (SNAFD) division was founded in 2001 by Dr. Bobby Williams and has since successfully navigated multiple interplanetary NASA missions, making KinetX the first privately held company to do so.[2]

References
  1. "History". KinetX. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  2. "Management Team". KinetX. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  3. "KinetX Aerospace Navigation Team Critical to Success of NASA's New Horizons Mission to Pluto". PR Newswire. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  4. "The Emirates Mars Mission Ground Segment". MBRSC. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  5. Brann, Tamsyn (December 21, 2018). "Navigating NASA's First Mission to the Trojan Asteroids". NASA Solar System Exploration. NASA. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
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