WASHINGTON — The SmallSat Alliance announced July 23 the appointment of Angel Smith, a former U.S. Marine, as its new chief executive officer. Smith, a former fighter pilot and House Intelligence Committee staffer, most recently served as an executive at Microsoft Corp.
The SmallSat Alliance, a coalition of more than 50 companies in the small satellite ecosystem, represents satellite manufacturers, operators, payload providers, launch service providers, ground services, and data analytics providers. It advocates for investments in space technology and U.S. leadership in the global space economy.
“Under Smith’s leadership, the SmallSat Alliance will continue to champion the economics of commercial and small satellites, focusing on leveraging advances in the technology sector to maximize the potential of low-cost constellations for government use,” the group said in a press release. “This includes exploiting the benefits of cloud computing, edge processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous surface systems to support missions from low-Earth orbit to cislunar orbits.”
Smith commented: “With the Space Development Agency “Having successfully tested and validated the concept that small satellites can deliver meaningful support to the warfighter, I look forward to collaborating with government entities along with our member companies to harness the power of commercial technology.”
Charles Beames, CEO and founder of the SmallSat Alliance, praised Smith’s appointment, highlighting her experience as a “military leader, Washington insider and leading industry executive.”
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