With another go at a successful rocket-powered test flight in the works, Virgin Galactic announced the appointment of four members to its new Space Advisory Board, which will provide advice to senior management. The move comes as the company edges toward its ultimate goal of beginning commercial spaceflights from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico — a mission which has seen several delays.
The new board will "be a resource" as the company begins commercial spaceflight services, according to a release. It will also serve as a forum to talk about technical and operational best practices, and provide awareness of opportunities in the commercial, civil and government markets.
The members of the Space Advisory Board are:
- Chris Hadfield was NASA's Chief CAPCOM, the voice of mission control to astronauts in orbit, for 25 space shuttle missions. He also served on NASA's second space shuttle mission to meet and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir, according to NASA.
- Sandy Magnus served as the Department of Defense’s chief engineer for advanced capabilities. She was the lead for engineering policy, practice, and the DOD's engineering workforce in that role, according to the DOD. She is also a former NASA astronaut.
- David Whelan is the senior vice president and chief scientist of Cubic Corp. The company provides technical capabilities for government and commercial customers in the fields of defense and transportation, its website says.
- George Whitesides is the chief space officer of Virgin Galactic, and chairman of the Space Advisory Board.
“The movement to open access to space for a broader group of people is a part of the natural evolution in the development of human spaceflight. I am excited to be a part of the next steps in that effort," Magnus said in a statement.
Founded in 2004, Virgin Galactic went public on the New York Stock Exchange in late 2019, and had $741 million in cash and cash equivalents as of the end of September. It is on the forefront of New Mexico's push to develop its commercial space industry, being the anchor tenant at Spaceport America.
