Dynetics

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Dynetics is an American defense and aerospace company based in Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1974 by Herschel Matheny and Stephen Gilbert, it serves the DoD, the U.S. Intelligence Community, and NASA. The company started with missiles and sensors and later expanded into software, modeling, automotive testing, IT, and cybersecurity. It helped develop the FASTSAT nanosatellite, acquired Orion Propulsion, and pursued Space Launch System upgrades.

In 2019 Leidos agreed to buy Dynetics for about $1.65 billion, and the deal closed in January 2020, making Dynetics a Leidos subsidiary. Dynetics groups its work into intelligence, missiles, aviation, cyber, automotive, and space. It opened a major R&D complex in Huntsville in 2012 and runs remote operations in several states.

Notable programs include the MOAB system integration, plans announced in 2014 to build up to 18 Earth satellites with partners, and a collaboration with Aerojet Rocketdyne to upgrade NASA’s Space Launch System. In 2016 it won a DARPA contract for the X-61 Gremlins drone, with its first flight in January 2020. It also participated in NASA’s lunar-landing studies with the Dynetics Human Landing System (DHLS); NASA funded further design work in 2020–2021, though the proposal was rated as technically marginal and propulsion was seen as a higher risk. Dynetics favored methane/LOX for their DHLS propulsion based on performance and long-term sustainability.