Resilient Navigation for a World Without GPS
Built by former NASA engineers, Psionic delivers precise, dual-use navigation solutions for land, air, and space vehicles operating in GPS-denied environments.
Powered by NASA Innovation
Psionic’s core technology was originally created for demanding space applications such as lunar landings, rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), and precision velocity and range sensing, and has since evolved beyond spaceflight.
Psionic delivers manned and unmanned autonomous navigation that works when GPS fails. Our technology provides accurate 3D velocity, position, and attitude in GPS-denied, Non-RF, jammed, or spoofed environments—enabling safer and more reliable operations for space, defense, aviation, and ground applications.
The company has been involved in DARPA’s LASSO program and has partnered with numerous key defense primes including Northrop Grumman and Collins Aerospace, as well as commercial projects for ispace and Astrobotic, among others.
NASA Photo / Lauren Hughes
Psionic’s Proprietary Technology
Licensed directly from NASA, our Assured Position and Navigation sensors directly measure platform motion relative to the ground, providing ultra-reliable real-time velocity data without any reliance on GNSS satellite signals or external networks. Lighter, faster, and more accurate than radar, it outperforms traditional time-of-flight solutions and can be deployed in compact and lightweight form factors.
Psionic’s system provides a trusted velocity reference that cannot be compromised by conventional EW attacks, making it highly suited for situations where mission-critical assured navigation is essential.
It can also be retrofitted to existing navigation systems.
PSNDL
Psionic’s Space Navigation Doppler Lidar delivers precise, reliable navigation for critical space missions—including lunar and Mars landings, docking, and surface operations. It supports mobility and positioning for landers, rovers, and human exploration, while enhancing space situational awareness and enabling high-accuracy rendezvous and proximity maneuvers.
SurePath™
SurePath™ is Psionic’s first-generation, laser-based navigation sensor designed for defense, aviation, and commercial ground platforms. It provides precise 3D, surface-relative velocity, attitude, and position data, reliable performance in degraded or denied GPS conditions, and increased autonomy and operational safety.
We are also developing a full end-to-end navigation system, expected to be completed in Q1 2027.
About
- Private company founded by former NASA engineers
- Offers unique extended navigation INS performance without GPS
- Space, aviation, land, and defense applications
- Received NASA’s Commercial Innovation of the Year Award
- Completed Series A financing; Series B in progress
- AS9100 compliant
Our Mission
Psionic was founded by former NASA engineers with a vision to dramatically enhance navigation for land, air, and space vehicles.
Psionic pursues that vision by producing navigation systems and inertial sensors for commercial and space sectors that do what no one else can. Our cutting-edge technology works without satellites or networks, performs in the harshest terrain, and calculates precise velocity and position accuracy, just for starters.
Leadership
Steve Sandford
Founder and CEO
25+ years NASA leadership, advanced optoelectronic instrumentation
Sean McCormack
Senior Vice President SurePath™
25+ years inertial navigation, KVH Industries, Dell EMC and Pentair
Diego Pierrottet
Founder and Chief Engineer
25+ years NASA, USAF lidar (navigation, military), multiple patents
Bill Cook
Senior Vice President Space
30+ years Faber Astrum, Kepler, Blue Origin, SAIC, Northrop Grumman
Rob Fleishauer, Ph.D
Senior Vice President Operations and Engineering
30+ years USAF, NASA, SSAI
Jaafar Asri
Senior Vice President Aviation
20+ years business development, Safran
Jim Blom
Corporate Development
20+ years, corporate business development executive
Vicki Clevenger
Chief Financial Officer
30+ years finance, Scine & Associates
Board of Directors
Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller is an accomplished maritime and defense industry executive with more than 30 years of experience building and leading companies supporting the U.S. Navy and broader defense community. He is the owner of The Miller Group LLC and Fairlead Integrated, with extensive experience in ship repair and maintenance, defense technology systems, and business development.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Miller began his career as a U.S. Navy surface warfare officer before entering the maritime industry. He later acquired Earl Industries and grew the company into a diversified marine maintenance and repair organization supporting major U.S. Navy ship classes.
Miller’s extensive leadership experience across the maritime, defense, and technology sectors brings valuable operational and strategic perspective to Psionic’s Board of Directors.
Dan Akerson
Dan Akerson is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors and an accomplished executive with decades of leadership experience across the automotive, telecommunications, private equity, and defense sectors.
Prior to leading General Motors, Akerson was a Managing Director at The Carlyle Group. His previous executive leadership roles include Chairman and CEO of Nextel Communications, Chairman and CEO of XO Communications, and President and Chief Operating Officer of MCI Communications. Following his tenure at General Motors, he served as Vice Chairman and Special Advisor to The Carlyle Group and as a member of the Board of Directors of Lockheed Martin.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Akerson served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and later as Chairman of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation. He earned a B.S. in Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics.
Steve Girsky
Steve Girsky is Managing Partner of VectoIQ, an investment and advisory firm focused on the automotive, industrial tech and mobility sectors. He has more than 35 years of experience as a senior executive, investor, Wall Street analyst and public company director, with expertise in corporate strategy, capital allocation, technology and business transformation.
Girsky previously served as Vice Chairman of General Motors, where his responsibilities included corporate strategy, business development, product planning, connected vehicle services, venture investments, research and development, and global purchasing and supply chain. He also served as President of GM Europe, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Adam Opel AG, and a member of GM’s Board of Directors from 2009 through 2016.
Earlier in his career, Girsky spent more than 17 years at PaineWebber and Morgan Stanley and later served as President of Centerbridge Industrial Partners. He subsequently founded VectoIQ and has held leadership and board positions across numerous automotive, industrial and technology companies.
Girsky earned a B.A. in Economics from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Work with us
Join a team that’s redefining what it means to navigate. At Psionic, we build autonomous navigation systems that work where GPS and towers don’t—harsh terrains, hostile environments, and the edge of the unknown. We’re engineers, scientists, and explorers pushing the limits of perception and precision.
We value bold ideas, technical excellence, and a mindset wired for resilience. Whether you’re designing next-gen sensors, writing mission-critical software, or supporting operations that keep us moving, your work here has purpose.
If you’re ready to build the future of navigation—where others can’t go—we want to hear from you.
Where Will Psionic Take You?
Let us enhance your next mission. Please fill out the form below, and we will get back to you within 24-48 hours.
