The Commercial Spaceflight Federation, representing 37 companies employing thousands of Americans nationwide, has selected its next Chairman of the Board, Eric C. Anderson, who holds the position of chairman of Space Adventures, Ltd. Anderson was elected by a diverse cross-section of industry leaders at a recent board meeting. Anderson succeeds Mark Sirangelo of Sierra Nevada Space Systems, who has completed his appointed term as Federation Chairman. Mr. Sirangelo will continue on as an officer and board member of the Federation as Chairman Emeritus.
Anderson, who currently serves on the executive committee of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, is a leader in the commercial human spaceflight industry, having co-founded Space Adventures in 1998 and currently serving as the company’s chairman. In the course of the company’s history, Anderson has sold more than $250 million (USD) in spaceflights. Space Adventures has facilitated the missions of all the self-funded private space explorers, including Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth, Gregory Olsen, Anousheh Ansari, Charles Simonyi, Richard Garriott and Guy Laliberte. Space Adventures has received worldwide media attention, including a recent front-page story in The New York Times on its future plans for orbital spaceflight.
Anderson has been honored by the World Economic Forum by being selected as a member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders. Anderson has also been honored as a recipient of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year award for the Washington D.C. region, the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. Anderson serves as an active board member of the X PRIZE Foundation and graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in aerospace engineering.
Mark Sirangelo of Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems, having completed his appointed term as Federation Chairman, welcomed his replacement, stating, “Eric is a terrific selection to lead this industry at this pivotal time. His experience as a business leader, his background in aerospace engineering, his knowledge of political and regulatory issues, and his ability to communicate the job-creating potential of commercial spaceflight will propel this industry forwards.”
The other Commercial Spaceflight Federation officers are: Jeff Greason, CEO of XCOR Aerospace; Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX; George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic; and Stuart O. Witt, General Manager of the Mojave Spaceport.
Anderson commented, “I am incredibly honored to be selected as the new Chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. This industry is creating jobs, keeping America competitive, and hopefully is inspiring a new generation of young people who will pursue science and technology careers. It will be a privilege to lead this group as we progress into a new era of space exploration. I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the board and with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation staff as we continue expanding the commercial space industry.”
About Eric C. Anderson
Eric C. Anderson is one of the leading entrepreneurs in the space industry. He has led the development of commercial human spaceflight and the space tourism industry since its inception. Anderson’s vision is to open the space frontier to all private citizens which will then enable the procurement and development of space-based resources for the benefit of humanity. Anderson co-founded Space Adventures in 1998 and serves as the company’s Chairman. He also is the President of Intentional Software Corporation, a company founded by former Microsoft Chief Architect and two-time space tourist Charles Simonyi. Space Adventures is the only company that provides opportunities to the world’s marketplace to experience space. The company offers a spectrum of products, at various price points, ranging from weightless flights, to a proposed historic return to the Moon, flights to the edge of space and orbital flights to the International Space Station. For more information, please visit www.spaceadventures.com.
About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.
