Godspeed acquires spaceflight engineering company

Gettyimages.com / Viaframe

Special Aerospace Services opened for business in 2007 and now becomes the private equity firm's vehicle for further investments in the government market's space vertical.

Godspeed Capital Management, a private equity firm with a pair of government technology holdings, has acquired a spaceflight engineering and hardware contractor to mark the investor's foray into space and missile defense programs.

Special Aerospace Services currently employs about 250 cleared employees that work with federal agencies on space, defense, intelligence and communications technology programs. The company also counts other prime government contractors and commercial space companies as clients.

SAS' co-founder Heather Bulk will continue to lead the company as chief executive and be joined by three-decade market veteran Warren Kohm, who was announced Wednesday as chief financial officer.

Kohm is a former CFO for Red River and has also previously worked in financial leadership roles at Alion Science and Technology, Capgemini and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Boulder, Colorado-headquartered SAS will use this newfound investment to further build and scale out its technology offerings, along with the identification and pursuit of acquisitions to support growth.

SAS opened for business in 2007 as a provider of tactical engineering services to agencies such as NASA and the Defense Department for programs involving aircraft and spacecraft. SAS' lines of work also involve prototyping, specialty component manufacturing, procurement, logistics, testing and assembly.

SAS was advised by Cascadia Capital and Godspeed was advised by Latham & Watkins LLP.

Godspeed's portfolio of companies in the government technology market includes Crimson Phoenix and SilverEdge.