Kinetx

In 1992, a group of seven engineers, including Christopher G. Bryan and Kjell Stakkestad, decided to leverage their extensive aerospace expertise to form KinetX. Seeing an opportunity to create flexible and innovative software for satellite ground operations, they founded the company in Tempe, Arizona. Shortly after, Motorola approached them for a crucial project: developing the ground system for the Iridium satellite constellation. This foundational project established KinetX's reputation and led to work with major aerospace players like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. A pivotal moment arrived in 2001 when KinetX expanded into a highly specialized field by establishing its Space Navigation and Flight Dynamics division, led by Dr. Bobby Williams. This move set the company on a new trajectory. They achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first and only private company to provide navigation services for NASA's interplanetary missions. Their expertise guided spacecraft on complex journeys, including the MESSENGER mission to Mercury and the New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond. KinetX's journey reached a new apogee in August 2025, when it was announced that the company would be acquired by Intuitive Machines. This acquisition, expected to close by the end of 2025, marks a significant event, integrating KinetX's deep space navigation expertise with Intuitive Machines' lunar and space exploration systems. The deal positions the combined entity as a formidable force in providing end-to-end services for increasingly ambitious missions to the Moon, Mars, and the far reaches of our solar system.