SAN FRANCISCO – Los Angeles startup Fortastra has hired veterans from Relativity Space, Hermeus, Astrion and Divergent Technologies to design and operate maneuverable spacecraft for on-orbit security.
Josh Jetter, former Relativity senior director of avionics engineering and manufacturing, will be Fortastra’s chief technology officer. Sahil Desai, Fortastra’s vice president of product, was Divergent Technologies’ vice president of aerospace and defense programs, and Hermeus director of programs. Arnold Nowinski, who served as Astrion Space Launch and Sciences vice president and general manager, will be Fortastra vice president of people.
The three executives “bring world-class experience spanning engineering, product strategy, and organizational leadership from some of the most demanding and innovative sectors,” Fortastra CEO and founder Mike Smayda said in a statement. “This diversity of expertise provides a unique advantage as we continue developing mission-critical systems for our government and commercial partners.”
Fortastra was founded in 2025 by Smayda, a former SpaceX senior aerodynamics engineer and Hermeus co-founder and chief product officer, to build spacecraft with advanced guidance, navigation, control and propulsion systems to enable rapid maneuver, rendezvous and proximity operations and mission assurance in degraded environments.
“I’ve spent my career building aerospace systems that push the boundaries of what’s possible and am thrilled to be joining this organization securing critical assets in orbit,” Jetter said in a statement. “Fortastra is tackling some of the most complex challenges in space operations. I’m happy to be a part of the journey as we build reliable, scalable systems.”
Late last year, Fortastra raised more than $8 million in seed funding.
“Modern space missions demand advanced technologies that are operationally ready,” Desai said in a statement. “Fortastra is uniquely positioned to deliver that capability. I’m excited to help guide the product strategy to bring these innovations to customers who need them most.”
Nowinski said in a statement, “The space economy is growing rapidly, and building the teams most capable of supporting that growth is essential.”