Planetary Utilities
Digital engineering platform and space infrastructure tools for complex mission planning and system integration
Founded in 2023 and headquartered in California, Planetary Utilities is a private space tech company developing Starforge, a digital engineering platform that integrates AI, SysML, and collaborative tools for designing and simulating complex space systems. The company also develops Starkit, described as a modular space system aimed at enabling teams to build and deploy in-orbit products and services. Planetary Utilities is backed by the Seraphim Accelerator and has a small team led by CEO Johannes Gross, a JPL alumnus, and Chief Software Engineer Robert Karban. The company's Altadena office was destroyed in the January 2025 Eaton Fire, though its hardware prototype survived.