Aircraft medical module manufacturer and distributor Knight Aerospace announced Monday that NASA flight surgeon Dr. Joe Schmid will join its corporate advisory board.
Schmid developed NASA best practices for medical operations and designed deep-space missions equipment. He also oversaw government research and training in a 12-day undersea mission as a flight surgeon and has served as a crew surgeon for more than a dozen other missions.
Though Knight Aerospace's chief focus has been its aircraft medical modules, the company recently began to explore research and development for the U.S. Space Force's rocket cargo program.
CEO Bianca Rhodes said the company aims to meet evolving needs of service members and government official and called the rocket cargo program the "natural next step".
"The space initiative which enables materials and personnel to travel anywhere in the globe in less than one hour means someone has to design the processes and equipment to do so," she told the Business Journal. "This is especially critical when you think about disaster response and medical aid."
The new frontier aligns with Knight Aerospace's expertise, she said. Knight also designs and builds systems for loading and unloading aircraft. Rhodes told the Business Journal that Schmid's professional focus is caring for patients in space and other tough environments, and he understands the equipment needed to deliver care in unusual situations.
In the wake of COVID, she added, it's critical to understand the importance of safely transporting patients globally and the many threats of contagion and contamination.
Knight Aerospace was founded in 1992. Rhodes took over leadership in September 2017 when founder Alfred Knight retired. The company moved to Port San Antonio in October 2019 and was selected for the 2021 Hyperspace Cohort, an Air Force Research Laboratory business accelerator.
Other members of Knight Aerospace's corporate advisory board include Ret. U.S. Transcomm Commander Will Frazer III; Ret. U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Dr. Paul Carlton; and Ret. USAF Col. Dr. James Henderson.
