Retired NASA Astronaut Tim Kopra Named CEO of Nanoracks

Retired NASA Astronaut Tim Kopra has been named by Voyager Space as CEO of its operating company Nanoracks. Kopra will oversee Nanoracks' continued growth providing commercial space services, including the development of Starlab, the companies' proposed commercial space station.

"I am looking forward to applying my skill set and experience as a former astronaut as well as a space industry executive to further our technologies and capabilities powering the space revolution, forging the next generation of space infrastructure and technology."

Tim Kopra.

"Nanoracks is paving the way for what's possible in space," said Matthew Kuta, President and COO, Voyager. "Tim is a one-of-a-kind leader with a level of experience that is unmatched in this industry. As an astronaut who served on the International Space Station, he understands the unique needs, challenges, and opportunities for commercial space services and will provide invaluable insight as we continue down our development path on Starlab. We couldn't be more excited to have Tim on the Voyager team and look forward to seeing him take Nanoracks to new heights."

Tim Kopra Previously Held a Leadership Role at OneWeb Technologies

A seasoned executive and leader, Tim Kopra served as the president of OneWeb Technologies, which he joined in March of this year, and as vice president, Robotics and Space Operations for MDA. Prior to his work in the private sector, he spent 18 years as an astronaut for NASA, including his role as a flight engineer on Expedition 46 and commander of Expedition 47. A retired U.S. Army Colonel, Kopra served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He earned his BS from the United States Military Academy, a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, an MS in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, and MBAs from Columbia Business School and London Business School.

"This is a very critical and exciting time to join Nanoracks. I am looking forward to applying my skill set and experience as a former astronaut as well as a space industry executive to further our technologies and capabilities powering the space revolution, forging the next generation of space infrastructure and technology," added Kopra.

Kopra's appointment comes among other exciting announcements for Voyager and Nanoracks. The companies announced a historic partnership with Hilton to design crew lodging and hospitality suites aboard Starlab in September. Voyager and Nanoracks also announced The Ohio State University will host the George Washington Carver Science Park's terrestrial lab and signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with five Latin American space agencies.

(Source: Voyager Space news release. NASA image)