Pat Host 
- As CEO, Warren Kohm is working to build Aurex into a growing and multidisciplined space and defense tech company.
- The company contributed to NASA’s hugely successful Artemis II mission, including its DICES VoIP launch operations communication system.
- He sat down with ExecutiveBiz to talk advanced space technologies, AI, the company’s work on Artemis II and its pivot into hardware development.
Warren Kohm, Aurex CEO, is working to build the firm into a growing and multidisciplined space and defense tech company coming off the massive success of NASA’s Artemis II mission. Aurex was formed through the combination of five firms: Special Aerospace Services, Willbrook, Quintron, Concordia Technologies and Alpha 2, with a rebranding to reflect a new identity, culture and perspective on space and defense focused on the full lifecycle of space and defense technology.
Aurex, two years ago, started forging a new path, especially in supporting advanced initiatives like the Golden Dome homeland missile defense system and other capabilities for warfighter and space technology companies. Aurex has about 300 employees and is making a big impact on the industry, according to Forbes, including its work on Artemis II.
There, Aurex provided a secure voice over internet protocol, or VoIP, communications system called DICES to contribute to all NASA launch operations. It also backed the Artemis II cryogenic upper stage with work including requirements and verification, software integration and telemetry readiness for United Launch Alliance. Beyond Artemis II, Aurex is supporting launches at Wallops Island, Virginia, and upcoming missions at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Kohm is a veteran of high-tech firms, with leadership positions at Booz Allen Hamilton, Alion Science and Technology, HII, and Red River before becoming CEO at Special Aerospace Services in February 2025. He sat down with ExecutiveBiz for his first Spotlight interview to discuss lessons learned from Artemis II, how the company’s agile solutions are changing the space technology landscape and how awards from the Missile Defense Agency and the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office show how Aurex is built for the mission of advanced defense technology and hypersonics.
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ExecutiveBiz: Aurex supported the Artemis II launch with a number of essential tasks such as requirements and verification work for the cryogenic upper stage and software integration, among others. What did Aurex learn from its work on Artemis II and how are you applying these lessons to future space programs that you will pursue?
Warren Kohm: What we learned is that a mission is never accomplished by one person. The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, or ICPS, ULA team started with roughly 30 people, which is significant for a software development program. Over multiple years, we saw just how much complexity was involved. There were numerous changes and challenges that had to be addressed to successfully execute the mission.
If you’ve been following ULA, you know it’s a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. That creates a very dynamic environment, with two major aerospace leaders deeply involved in space operations. We were proud to be part of that mission and believe we played a critical role in its success.
During the Space Symposium, our company met with Mark Peller, chief operating officer of ULA. He had very positive things to say about Aurex and the support we provided to the mission. That recognition means a lot, especially coming from someone like Peller, who previously led special programs at ULA.
When you have a leader of that caliber speaking highly of your company and your contributions to an organization like ULA, which is an outstanding partner, it’s something we’re extremely proud of.
EBiz: What are some ways that Aurex is changing the equation as a space tech company in how you develop agile solutions?
Kohm: We’ve built a hardware product with the MDA called Sensor Package for Optical Characterization and Ballistic Observation of Targets, or SPOCBOT.
Across our portfolio, we’re building other products like reentry vehicles and the Kinetic Hypersonic Aerial Nemesis, or KHAN, system for the Navy’s Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Accelerator, aka MACH-XL. So we are very much a hardware-focused company.
What we’re seeing in the market today is that services still matter—engineering services for government agencies, as well as support for companies like ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, are critical. But it’s becoming increasingly important to build something tangible, not just provide engineering or test services.
Part of what we’ve observed, especially during recent market shifts, is that companies focused purely on services have been more exposed. That reinforced our strategy. When we brought together the five companies that now form Aurex, we made a deliberate decision to build a business that spans the full lifecycle of space and defense technology.
That means acquiring and developing capabilities across advising, consulting, design, development, testing and production. We’ve talked about this on our website as a full lifecycle approach—from concept through implementation. We even visualize it not as a circular consulting model, but as a parabolic trajectory, like a launch—because that reflects what we actually do.
Building hardware is critical to the future of this industry. That includes prototyping, testing and using tools like digital twins. These capabilities are essential for developing and fielding real systems.
At the core, what we’re doing is delivering lower-cost, proven technologies that are highly valuable to government customers. Aurex is focused on taking capabilities that might traditionally cost $100 million and delivering them for closer to $10 million—faster and more efficiently.
I spoke recently with someone from the Space Force who made it very clear: they’re looking for solutions that are 80-90 percent ready, not 100 percent, but delivered quickly—within six to nine months, not 18 to 24 months.
That’s where Aurex provides real value. We can design, develop, test and deliver products, systems and hardware rapidly and at lower cost, supporting both government agencies and large prime contractors.
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EBiz: Aurex is supporting Golden Dome and was selected by the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office to further advance next-generation hypersonic capabilities. What are you developing for these programs and what do these contract awards signify about how you’re driving defense technology?
Kohm: That’s a great question. Our company is heavily involved in building modeling and simulation capabilities. Some aspects are classified, so I won’t go into specifics, but at a high level, it applies across both offensive and defensive domains.
It’s one thing to build a system, but if you haven’t modeled it, simulated it and tested it, it remains theoretical. The real value comes from doing the underlying work—the mathematics, the science, the visualization and the use of advanced models—harnessing the power of AI.
In classified environments, modeling and simulation are especially critical. They enable breakthroughs, and those breakthroughs translate into new technologies and meaningful advancements. That’s what our customers, government agencies and stakeholders are ultimately looking for—capabilities that have been rigorously tested and validated before they’re fielded
EBiz: Aurex has been very active in 2026 with numerous contract awards, mergers and acquisitions, supporting Artemis, the MDA and the Space Force to drive defense technology. How do these demonstrate that Aurex is built for the mission of advanced space technology?
Kohm: I used to play sports in college and people would always talk about wins and losses. Sometimes there’s a lot of talk, but I would just point to the scoreboard—the results speak for themselves.
We just supported the Artemis II mission. The country was successful, NASA and ULA were successful, and we were successful as a company. That really says everything. We also had a successful launch at Wallops Island back in November. In this business, results matter!
At the same time, there will be failures. That’s part of the process. If you look at someone like Elon Musk, there have been failures, but he continues to advance because he takes an aggressive approach, learns quickly and iterates.
Aurex follows a similar model. We focus on rapid development, launch, testing and continued iteration. Our goal is to succeed, and we believe we will continue to do so. That doesn’t mean we’ll be perfect, but we’re not afraid to take calculated risks, and that’s what the government is increasingly asking for.
There are areas where risk tolerance has to be low, especially in human spaceflight. But in research and development, and testing environments that don’t involve human life, you can take more chances to accelerate progress. The goal is to deliver capabilities to the warfighter that are 80-95 percent ready.
From our conversations with the military, there’s a clear demand for getting technology into the field earlier. They don’t want to wait three to five years for something to be fully perfected. They’d rather test it in theater, refine it on the range and improve it in real time.
We’ve taken that feedback seriously. Our approach is to get technology into the hands of the user quickly, advance it and then continue improving it.
We have a strong partnership with the MDA, which allows us to conduct meaningful testing aligned with both their mission and our development goals. That partnership was reflected in the heavy demonstrator mission award we announced last week.
That effort focuses on rapid development, integration and flight of intercontinental ballistic missile-class systems. This is critical work tied directly to national defense—advancing technologies at a much faster pace than traditional timelines.
Historically, missions like this might take three to three and a half years. We’re now executing them in seven to nine months. That level of speed and agility is a testament to how closely we’re working with our defense partners.
I feel deeply committed to this mission and honored to support it. I was never in the military, but I feel a strong connection to those who serve. When I speak with the men and women who put their lives on the line, it reinforces our responsibility to deliver technology that helps them succeed.
When you look at what’s happening globally today, you can see the impact of these advancements—the ability to execute missions effectively while minimizing loss of life. That’s ultimately what this work is all about.
EBiz: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Kohm: My motivation is personal. When I was younger, a neighbor of mine, a Marine, was killed in Lebanon. That experience stayed with me.
Later, I lived through events like the Iran hostage crisis and 9/11. My mother was a teacher in New York, and some parents never came home that day.
Those experiences shaped my perspective. I feel a responsibility to support the men and women who protect this country. At Aurex, our role is to provide the technology that helps them succeed.
