Blue Canyon Technologies Announces Karen McConnell as Executive Director of Engineering

LAFAYETTE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Small-satellite manufacturer and mission services provider Blue Canyon Technologies LLC (“BCT” or “Blue Canyon”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, announced today that it has named Karen McConnell as executive director of Engineering.

"Karen brings to Blue Canyon a track record of success with demonstrated expertise and leadership during her long career in aerospace engineering," said Stephen Steg, co-founder and CEO of Blue Canyon Technologies. “Blue Canyon will continue to strive to seek out the best and brightest in the industry in our hiring, promotion, and business practices."

McConnell's primary responsibility is to manage performance, reliability and delivery schedules of Blue Canyon’s overall production line. She will also guide the implementation of program performance optimization efforts, which will streamline BCT execution and improve operational efficiency. Additionally, McConnell will oversee the continued evolution of the Saturn-class microsat product line, helping Blue Canyon to maintain its innovative edge in the ever-changing small-satellite space.

"The opportunity to work with Stephen, the rest of his leadership team, and all the very talented women and men at Blue Canyon Technologies is a wonderful next phase for my aerospace career," said McConnell. "This is a period of excitement and great opportunity for the new space economy.”

Prior to joining Blue Canyon, McConnell worked at Ball Aerospace, TRW (now Northrop Grumman) and AeroAstro LLC, where she was first introduced to working with small satellites. She holds a bachelor’s of engineering degree in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering from MIT, as well as a Master of Science degree in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford University.

About Blue Canyon Technologies

Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, offers a diverse portfolio of innovative, reliable and affordable spacecraft that enable a broad range of missions and technological advancements for the new space economy, reducing the barriers of space entry. BCT is currently supporting nearly 50 unique missions with over 90 spacecraft, all in production at their newly developed 80,000-square-foot facility in Lafayette, Colorado.

BCT has supported missions for the U.S. Air Force, NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and provided the Attitude Control Systems for the first interplanetary CubeSats, which successfully traveled to Mars. The company has been recognized with awards from Inc. Magazine’s 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies, the 2020 Best in Biz Award and the 2020 Tibbetts Award.

For the latest news on Blue Canyon Technologies and for other company information, please visit www.bluecanyontech.com. You can follow the company on Instagram here or Twitter here.

About Raytheon Intelligence & Space

Raytheon Intelligence & Space delivers the disruptive technologies our customers need to succeed in any domain, against any challenge. A developer of advanced sensors, training, and cyber and software solutions, Raytheon Intelligence & Space provides a decisive advantage to civil, military and commercial customers in more than 46 countries around the world. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the business generated $15 billion in pro forma annual revenue in 2020 and has 37,000 employees worldwide. Raytheon Intelligence & Space is one of four businesses that form Raytheon Technologies Corporation.