WASHINGTON — Susan Mashiko, a retired U.S. Air Force major general, was named to the board of director of VOX Space, a subsidiary of Virgin Orbit that focuses on the national security launch market, the company announced March 9.
Mashiko will replace Douglas Loverro, who stepped down from the company’s board after being named head of NASA’s human spaceflight program.
“I thank Doug for his service to the board for the last two years, and I look forward to welcoming major general Mashiko,” VOX Space President Mandy Vaughn said in a statement.
VOX Space, headquartered in El Segundo, California, provides small satellite launch services to the U.S. government using Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne. The vehicle is scheduled to perform its first orbital launch in April.
LauncherOne rockets, made in Long Beach, California, will be air-launched from a modified 747-400 carrier aircraft. The service is being offered as a flexible launch service that can operate from locations around the world
Mashiko retired from the Air Force in 2014. She was chief of the programs division in the office of special projects and director of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. She also served as program executive officer for environmental satellites, vice commander of the Air Armaments Center, vice commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, and director of space acquisition in the office of the undersecretary of the Air Force. Her final assignment was as deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office.
“This is a very exciting time to join the VOX Space board, as the company’s flexible, responsive launch service unlocks some very interesting applications,” Mashiko said in a statement.
Also on the VOX Space board of directors are Michael Gass and Herbert Satterlee. Gass is the former president and chief executive officer of United Launch Alliance. Satterlee is a former Boeing and DigitalGlobe executive.
