Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, a previous winner of the prestigious Wash100 Award, has been appointed to the advisory board of emerging space technology company Firefly Aerospace, effective immediately.
Following the completion of Firefly’s recent Alpha FLTA endeavor and expansion through a variety of new contracts, Bridenstine will guide the company into a new phase of growth, the Austin, Texas-based organization announced on Monday.
“We’re honored to welcome Jim, a visionary leader in aeronautics and space exploration, to the Firefly Advisory Board,” stated Bill Weber, who was named Firefly CEO in Sept. 2022. Weber continued, emphasizing the benefit of Bridenstine’s expertise.
During Bridenstine’s time at NASA, the agency’s scientific portfolio broadened to include the Mars Perseverance Rover, an updated fleet of Earth-observing satellites and a finalized James Webb Space Telescope.
Under his leadership, NASA also finalized its Artemis program and created the Commercial Lunar Payload services program, which supported NASA in collaborating with commercial enterprises to land rovers on the moon’s surface.
Bridenstine also oversaw the continuation of the International Space Station’s commercial resupply and drove the agency’s goal of connecting with U.S. businesses on the Commercial Crew Program, which aims to launch U.S. rockets from domestic launch sites.
Before working with NASA, Bridenstine served in the U.S. House of Representatives, during which he was a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. Prior to his political career, he served as an active duty pilot in the U.S. Navy for nine years with combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I look forward to advising Firefly on how they can better position the company to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities available in today’s fast-evolving space economy,” Bridenstine said.