The Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) has elected new Officers for the 2017-2018 year, and approved two new Associate member companies at its bi-annual Executive Board of Directors, held last month in Tucson, Arizona.
Dr. Alan Stern of Southwest Research Institute was elected for a second term as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Stern is the Associate Vice President of the Southwest Research Institute’s (SwRI) Space Science and Engineering Division in Boulder, Colorado and the Chief Science Officer of World View, based in Tucson, Arizona. Stern previously served as the Associate Administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, during which time he, directed a wide variety of research and scientific exploration programs for Earth studies, space weather, the solar system, and the universe beyond. Stern is a renowned planetary scientist and an author who has served as the principal investigator on a number of planetary and lunar missions, including the New Horizons Mission to the Pluto System and the Kuiper Belt. Stern is also the convener of the Next-Gen Suborbital researchers meetings, the next of which will be held December 18-20 in Broomfield, Colorado.
George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company was, elected as the board’s Vice-Chair, and Karina Drees, CEO and General Manager of Mojave Air & Space Port, was elected as the CSF Treasurer. Todd Lindner of Jacksonville Aviation Authority, Tim Hughes of SpaceX, and Taber MacCallum of World View Enterprises were re-elected as Officers of the Board. Bob Richards of Moon Express was elected to serve as a new Officer on the Board.
CSF also voted to accept two new Associate members: the University of Colorado Boulder Smead Aerospace, and OneWeb Corporation.
CU Boulder is home to the Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences program, a Top 10 nationally-ranked aerospace engineering education program. As the #1 public university recipient of NASA research funds, CU Boulder leads the national aerospace research agenda while preparing its graduates to join the aerospace & defense (A&D) workforce. In fact, Aviation Week’s 2017 Workforce Study designated CU Boulder a “preferred supplier” of talent to the A&D industry. Smead Aerospace’s curriculum emphasizes a hands-on learning approach that engages students in design projects starting in their freshman year, so when they enter the workforce they have the skills and know-how to hit the ground running on top of their in-depth, foundational engineering knowledge. CU Boulder and Smead Aerospace also serve as an industry partner in basic and applied research, providing testbed capabilities and helping industry achieve its research needs.
OneWeb is a pre-IPO company building, launching, and deploying the world’s first large scale LEO satellite constellation that will provide high speed wireless broadband connectivity all over the globe. OneWeb plans to deploy and operate a constellation of approximately 900 LEO satellites beginning in 2018.
“Thanks to CSF member, World View, for hosting our board meeting where these elections were held at its spectacular facility and providing the inspiring backdrop to hear from a variety of our members regarding their impressive technology advancements to further commercial space,” said Eric Stallmer, President of CSF. “As we continue to grow our membership and expand the voices of leadership on our Executive Committee, we look forward in anticipation of a truly exciting year ahead for our the commercial spaceflight industry.”
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is the leading voice for the commercial spaceflight industry. Founded in 2006, CSF and its 70+ members are laying the foundation for a sustainable space economy and democratizing access to space for scientists, students, civilians, and businesses. CSF members are responsible for the creation of thousands of high-tech jobs driven by billions of dollars in investment. Through the promotion of technology innovation, CSF is guiding the expansion of Earth’s economic sphere, bolstering U.S. leadership in aerospace, and inspiring America’s next generation of engineers and explorers.
