Virgin Orbit’s VOX Space Welcomes General Mashiko to its Board Of Directors

Douglas Loverro has stepped down from the company’s board as the head of NASA’s human spaceflight program and has been replaced by Susan Mashiko for Virgin Orbit’s VOX Space launch program. WASHINGTON Retired US Air Force Major General, Susan Mashiko, has stepped in as one of the members of the board of directors of VOX Space. Announced on March 9, VOX Space is a subsidiary of Virgin Orbit; its primary goal is to focus on the national security launch market.

Susan Mashiko has replaced Douglas Loverro, who has withdrawn from the board after being named the head of the company’s human spaceflight program. Mandy Vaughn, the President of VOX Space, offered thanks to Douglas for his services for the past two years and welcomed Major General Mashiko to the board.

What Is Virgin Orbit’s VOX Space?

Virgin Orbit’s VOX Space has its headquarters located at El Segundo, California. Using Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets, it will provide small satellite launch services to the US government. The first orbital launch is scheduled to be performed in April. The LauncherOne rockets are made in Long Beach, California, and will be launched mid-flight from a Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft. The launch services offered will be flexible and can be operated from different locations around the globe. Mashiko was the director of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program and the chief of the program’s division in the office of special projects. She retired from the Air Force in 2014. Previously, she also donned several other senior titles like the director of space acquisition for the Air Force, vice-commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, vice-commander of the Air Armaments Center, and the executive program officer for environmental satellites. Her last assignment was the role of deputy director at the National Reconnaissance Office. Mashiko says she is very excited to join the Virgin Orbit’s VOX Space board. Additionally, she also states that the company’s launch service is quite responsive and flexible; furthermore, it also has the potential to unlock different practical applications, reads her statement. Some of Virgin Orbit’s VOX Space boards of directors include Herbert Satterlee, a former DigitalGlobe and Boeing executive, Michael Gass, a former chief executive officer, and the president of the United Launch Alliance.