Mike Smayda Dr. Mike Smayda is the founder and CEO of Fortastra, which builds low-cost, maneuverable spacecraft to autonomously defend on-orbit infrastructure; it raised a $30M Series A in October 2026. He previously co-founded hypersonic aircraft company Hermeus, where he was Chief Product Officer, led systems engineering at Generation Orbit, and spent five years at SpaceX as a senior aerodynamics engineer on Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy ascent and landing and the original Hyperloop design team. He holds a BS from Cornell and a PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia.
Mike Smayda Dr. Mike Smayda is the founder and CEO of Fortastra, which builds low-cost, maneuverable spacecraft to autonomously defend on-orbit infrastructure; it raised a $30M Series A in October 2026. He previously co-founded hypersonic aircraft company Hermeus, where he was Chief Product Officer, led systems engineering at Generation Orbit, and spent five years at SpaceX as a senior aerodynamics engineer on Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy ascent and landing and the original Hyperloop design team. He holds a BS from Cornell and a PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia.