Jason Kim, a more than 20-year aerospace and defense industry veteran, will take on the position of CEO of Firefly Aerospace, a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners, on Oct. 1.
In this capacity, he will oversee a team of more than 700 employees as Firefly prepares to launch its Alpha rocket, Blue Ghost lunar lander and the Elytra vehicle in 2024, the company said Thursday.
He will leverage his experience in aerospace innovation, business development, product development and production and program management as he oversees development work on the Medium Launch Vehicle and production of the company’s spacecraft and rockets.
Kirk Konert, chairman of the board at Firefly Aerospace, said Kim brings to the position his industry expertise and ability to manage teams and execute on strategic growth initiatives.
“We are confident that under his leadership, Firefly will continue to achieve major milestones across our launch, lunar, and on-orbit programs,” Konert added.
Kim most recently served as chief executive of Boeing (NYSE: BA) subsidiary Millennium Space Systems.
His career also included leadership positions at Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), Raytheon Intelligence and Space and the U.S. Air Force.
The incoming CEO sits on the board of the Air Force Academy Foundation and is a member of the Executive Committee for Space Workforce 2030.
