Nanoracks has appointed Dr Amela Wilson as its new Chief Executive Officer. Former CEO and co-founder Jeffrey Manber will join Voyager Space as President of International and Space Stations and will remain Chairman of the Board at Nanoracks.
The leadership change comes just a few weeks after Nanoracks and Voyager announced a partnership with Lockheed Martin to develop Starlab, a commercial space station. Nanoracks will be the prime contractor with Voyager handling strategy and investment and Lockheed serving as the manufacturer and technical integrator.
Speaking about the appointment, Matthew Kuta, President and COO of Voyager Space, said: “Nanoracks has always stayed one step ahead of what’s possible in commercial space, and I see an opportunity to further solidify this position. Today, we sit on the precipice of the next frontier of space exploration, and I believe Amela’s proven experience and deft organizational leadership is what’s required now to propel Nanoracks to the next level.”
Jeffrey Manber, President of International and Space Stations at Voyager Space, added: “In my new role, I will support both Voyager and Nanoracks in bringing commercially viable space platforms into the LEO ecosystem, including human habitats like Starlab and autonomous systems we call Outposts. In addition, I will be dedicated to enabling new international opportunities and spheres of collaboration across the Voyager portfolio. International space collaboration is critical to realising a true commercial in-space marketplace and a focus area I have been passionate about for decades.”
Amela most recently served as Senior Vice President and General Manager at Mercury Systems, where she oversaw five company sites and over 500 employees during her tenure. She was also the vice president and general manager – Surveillance at FLIR Systems and the vice president and general manager – Sensors and Fire Control Systems Solutions at Elbit Systems of America.
Wilson stated: “I’m thrilled to be joining the team at Nanoracks at such a pivotal point in the company’s trajectory. Under Jeffrey’s leadership, Nanoracks has broken barriers and forged the path of commercial space access in a way no other organization has achieved. I’m eager to hit the ground running and elevate the hard work already being done by this accomplished organisation.”
Amela’s appointment continues a sequence of personnel appointments for Nanoracks. Recently, Nanoracks announced Marshall Smith, former Deputy Associate Administrator (DAA) for NASA’s Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I), Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) joining the company as Senior Vice President of Commercial Space Systems in its newly launched Huntsville, Alabama office.
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