Eddie Kato Named President and Managing Director of Astroscale Japan
Eddie Kato has been named president and Managing Director of Astroscale, Japan effective February 1, 2023.
"Our mid-term goal is to make on-orbit services part of daily activity in space by 2030, and we look forward to his expertise and leadership in achieving this goal.”
Nobu Okada, Founder and CEO of Astroscale.
“I am pleased to announce that Eddie has joined us as President and Managing Director of Astroscale Japan,” said Nobu Okada, Founder and CEO of Astroscale. “He has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the space industry, particularly in the satellite business, where he has been active in the global market. Our mid-term goal is to make on-orbit services part of daily activity in space by 2030, and we look forward to his expertise and leadership in achieving this goal.”
Eddie Kato has more than 35 years of experience in the space industry and has worked extensively internationally. Most recently, he founded the consulting firm HISe, Inc. in Washington, D.C., in 2015. He led the company for seven years as founder and president, providing strategic advice and market development support for the space and telecommunications sectors. Prior to HISe, he spent seven years at Thales Alenia Space, where he managed the Asia region, headed the sales division in the French headquarters, and served as president of the North American subsidiary. He also worked for Orbital Sciences, Lockheed Martin, General Electric and Mitsubishi Electric in their space sectors.
Eddie Kato will Work Across All Divisions of the Company
As President and Managing Director of Astroscale Japan, Eddie will work closely with the management teams of Astroscale Holdings Inc. and its U.S. and U.K. subsidiaries to drive the company’s growth.
On a related note, the company will open a new headquarters in Tokyo, Japan in May 2023, on the 10th anniversary on the company’s founding. On January 11, 2023, the completion ceremony for the new building, Hulic Kinshicho Collaboration Tree, was held by Hulic Co., Ltd., the owner of the new building.
As awareness of the space environment and space sustainability grows, so does the global demand for Astroscale’s on-orbit services. The opening of this new site will help meet these expectations, accelerate development of Astroscale’s services, and accommodate an increase in the number of employees. The new facility will accommodate the global headquarters of Astroscale and of subsidiary Astroscale Japan Inc. (“Astroscale Japan”). The new facility will allow Astroscale Japan to expand its capacity, following similar and recent expansions for Astroscale subsidiaries the U.K., U.S., and Israel.
Astroscale will be a tenant in the Hulic Kinshicho Collaboration Tree. The facility will include a 515-square-meter clean room for satellite manufacturing and component testing, a mission control room, and a learning center for space sustainability open to the public for tours.
(Source: Astroscale news releases. Images provided)