Fortastra Recruits Space Force Veteran to Direct National Security Strategy

Klempner joins the Torrance-based company following a distinguished career at Space Systems Command, where he managed a $90 billion portfolio covering orbital warfare, electronic warfare, and missile defense. As the new Director of Product for National Security, he will serve as the primary link between Fortastra’s engineering teams and Department of War stakeholders. His mandate focuses on accelerating the acquisition and deployment of maneuverable spacecraft systems that integrate into existing U.S. space warfighting architectures.

CEO Mike Smayda noted that the hire is intended to bridge the gap between mission modeling and technical development. By leveraging Klempner’s experience at the NRO’s Survivability Assurance Office, Fortastra aims to sharpen its product roadmap to better meet the urgent fielding timelines demanded by modern defense acquisition. For his part, Klempner stated his intent is to inject the agility of commercial space manufacturing into the rigorous, high-stakes environment of orbital asset protection.