We’re excited to announce that our very own Vice President of Mission Management Tony Frego has been appointed to COMSTAC, the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee. It’s a tremendous honor for Tony (and by association, the entire Spaceflight team!) to have a seat at the U.S. Department of Transportation table supporting the FAA and the commercial space transportation industry to help shape the future of the space industry. (Official DOT & FAA’s announcement here.)

“I’m very much looking forward to working with such a distinguished group of industry leaders dedicated to advancing our country’s space transportation technologies and policies,” said Frego. “It’s definitely an exciting time in space transportation, and this is truly an honor to have this opportunity.”

COMSTAC was created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), in accordance with Public Law 92-463. Since its inception in 1984, industry-led COMSTAC has provided information, advice, and recommendations to the FAA Administrator on all matters relating to U.S. commercial space transportation industry activities. The committee provides a forum for the development and communication of information from an independent perspective. 

Members of COMSTAC consist of senior executives from the commercial space transportation industry; the satellite industry, manufacturers and users; state and local government officials; as well as representatives from firms providing insurance, advocacy, and from academia.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg approved the nominations along with the re-appointment of seven members. COMSTAC is a two-year appointment. New members of COMSTAC for 2023 include:

• Joe DePete, President, Air Line Pilots Association
• Mat Dunn, Senior Director of Global Government Affairs, SpaceX
• John Elbon, Chief Operating Officer, United Launch Alliance
• Tony Frego, Vice President of Mission Management, Spaceflight, Inc.
• Matt Ganser, Vice President of Business Operations, Astra
• Moriba Jah, Associate Professor Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, The University of Texas at Austin
• Therese Jones, Senior Director of Policy, Satellite Industry Association
• Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Roosevelt (Ted) Mercer, CEO and Executive Director, Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority
• Megan Mitchell, Vice President Government Relations, Blue Origin
• George Nield, President, Commercial Space Technologies/ Global Spaceport Alliance
• Dr. Michelle Parker, Vice President and Chief Engineer, Space and Launch Engineering, Boeing
• Melanie Preisser, Vice President of National Systems, York Space Systems
• Caryn Schenewerk, Vice President of Regulatory & Government Affairs, Relativity Space
• Amanda Simpson, Vice President for Research and Technology, Airbus
• Ganesh Sitaraman, New York Alumni Chancellor’s Chair in Law, Vanderbilt University 
• Jay Skylus, Chief Executive and Chief Engineer of the Aether Transport System, Aevum
• Sita Sonty, Partner & Associate Director, Boston Consulting Group
• Janice Starzyk, Vice President of Government Operations, Virgin Orbit
• Melanie Stricklan, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Slingshot Aerospace
• Julie Zoller, Head of Global Regulatory Affairs, Project Kuiper, Amazon

The re-appointed members are:

• Edward Bolton, SGE, Former FAA Associate Administrator
• Karina Drees, President, Commercial Spaceflight Federation / COMSTAC Chair
• Mike French, Vice President Space Systems, Aerospace Industries Association / COMSTAC Vice-Chair
• Dale Ketcham, Vice President, Government & External Relations, Space Florida
• Kate Kronmiller, Vice President of Government Relations, Jacobs
• Mike Moses, President of Space Missions and Safety, Virgin Galactic
• Ann Zulkosky, Vice President, Commercial Civil Space, Lockheed Martin

Tony was also awarded the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2020. 

Congrats Tony! We’re proud of you.