Company Overview
SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches the world's most advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk to revolutionize space transportation, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets. Today, SpaceX is advancing the boundaries of space technology through its Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft.
Transforming the Way Rockets Are Made
SpaceX's proven designs are poised to revolutionize access to space. Because SpaceX designs and manufactures its own rockets and spacecraft, the company is able to develop quickly, test rigorously, and maintain tight control over quality and cost. One of SpaceX's founding principles is that simplicity and reliability are closely coupled.
Making History
SpaceX has gained worldwide attention for a series of historic milestones. It is the only private company ever to return a spacecraft from low-Earth orbit, which it first accomplished in December 2010. The company made history again in May 2012 when its Dragon spacecraft attached to the International Space Station, exchanged cargo payloads, and returned safely to Earth -- a technically challenging feat previously accomplished only by governments. In October 2012, Dragon again successfully delivered cargo to and from the space station, in the first official cargo resupply mission for NASA.

Advancing the Future
Under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA, SpaceX will fly at least 11 more cargo supply missions to the ISS, in addition to the October 2012 mission -- and in the near future, SpaceX plans to carry crew as well. Dragon was designed from the outset to carry astronauts and now, under a $440 million agreement with NASA, SpaceX is making modifications to make Dragon crew-ready.
SpaceX is the world's fastest-growing provider of launch services. Profitable and cash-flow positive, the company has nearly 50 launches on its manifest, representing about $4 billion in contracts. These include commercial satellite launches as well as NASA missions.
Currently under development is the Falcon Heavy, which will be the world's most powerful rocket. All the while, SpaceX continues to work toward one of its key goals -- developing reusable rockets, a feat that will transform space exploration by radically reducing its cost.
Key SpaceX MILESTONES
- March 2002 SpaceX is incorporated
- March 2006 First flight of SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket
- August 2006 NASA awards SpaceX $278 million to demonstrate delivery and return of cargo to ISS
- September 2008 Falcon 1 becomes first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to orbit Earth
- December 2008 NASA awards SpaceX $1.6 billion contract for 12 ISS cargo resupply flights
- July 2009 Falcon 1 becomes first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to deliver a commercial satellite into orbit
- June 2010 First flight of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, which successfully achieves Earth orbit
- December 2010 On Falcon 9's second flight and the Dragon spacecraft's first, SpaceX becomes the first commercial company to launch a spacecraft into orbit and recover it successfully
- May 2012 SpaceX's Dragon becomes first commercial spacecraft to attach to the space station, deliver cargo, and return to Earth
- August 2012 SpaceX wins $440 million NASA Space Act Agreement to develop Dragon to transport humans into space
- October 2012 SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft delivers critical supplies to and from the space station in the first official cargo resupply mission for NASA
Profile
SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Valor Equity Partners. The company has nearly 2,000 employees at its headquarters in Hawthorne, California; launch facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; a rocket-development facility in McGregor, Texas; and offices in Houston, Texas; Chantilly, Virginia; and Washington, DC.
Launch and Placement Services
With the Falcon family of launch vehicles, SpaceX is able to offer a full spectrum of light, medium and heavy lift launch capabilities to our customers. We are able to place satellites and other spacecraft into any inclination and altitude, from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit to planetary missions. And we offer open and fixed pricing for such services that is the same for all customers.
The Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy are the only US launch vehicles with true engine out reliability. They are also designed such that all stages are reusable, making them the world's first fully reusable launch vehicles. And our Dragon crew and cargo spacecraft will revolutionize access to space by providing efficient and reliable transport of crew and cargo to the ISS and other LEO destinations.
Our design and manufacturing facilities are located near the Los Angeles International airport, leveraging the deep and rich aerospace talent pool available in Southern California. Our extensive propulsion and structural test facilities are located in Central Texas.

Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft as it lifts off from SpaceX's launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
SpaceX People
Elon Musk - CEO and Chief Designer
Elon Musk is the CEO and Chief Designer of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and the CEO and Product Architect of
Tesla Motors.
At SpaceX, Elon oversees development of rockets and spacecraft for missions to Earth orbit and ultimately to other planets. The SpaceX Falcon 1 was the first privately developed liquid- fueled rocket to reach orbit. In 2008, SpaceX won a NASA contract to use its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft to commercially provide the cargo transport function of the space shuttle, which was retired in 2011. In 2010, SpaceX became the first commercial company to successfully recover a spacecraft from Earth orbit with its Dragon spacecraft. And in 2012, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial vehicle to successfully attach to the International Space Station and return cargo to Earth.
At Tesla, Elon has overseen product development and design of the all-electric Tesla Roadster, Model S and Model X since their inception. Transitioning society to a sustainable energy economy, in which electric vehicles play a pivotal role, has been one of his central interests for almost two decades, stemming from his time as a physics student working on ultracapacitors in Silicon Valley.
In addition, Elon is the non-executive chairman and principal shareholder of SolarCity, which he helped create. SolarCity is now the leading provider of solar power systems in the United States.
Prior to SpaceX, Elon cofounded PayPal, the world's leading Internet payment system, and served as the company's Chairman and CEO. Before PayPal, Elon cofounded Zip2, a provider of Internet software to the media industry.
He has a Bachelor of Arts in physics from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in business from the Wharton School.
Gwynne Shotwell - President
As President of SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell is responsible for day-to-day operations and for managing all customer and strategic relations to support company growth. She joined SpaceX in 2002 as Vice President of Business Development and built the Falcon vehicle family manifest to nearly 50 launches, representing nearly $5 billion in revenue. Shotwell is a member of the SpaceX Board of Directors.
Prior to joining SpaceX, Shotwell spent more than 10 years at the Aerospace Corporation. There she held positions in Space Systems Engineering & Technology as well as Project Management. She was promoted to the role of Chief Engineer of an MLV-class satellite program, managed a landmark study for the Federal Aviation Administration on commercial space transportation, and completed an extensive analysis of space policy for NASA's future investment in space transportation. Shotwell was subsequently recruited to be Director of Microcosm's Space Systems Division, where she served on the executive committee and directed corporate business development. Shotwell also served as a Chair of the AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) Space Systems Technical Committee, and in 2013, was elected to AIAA's honorable grade of Fellow.
Shotwell participates in a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-related programs, including the Frank J. Redd Student Scholarship Competition. Under her leadership the committee raised more than $350,000 in scholarships in six years. Shotwell was named winner of the 2011 World Technology Award for Individual Achievement in Space, and in June 2012 she was inducted into the Women In Technology International Hall of Fame. She is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Space Security.
Shotwell received, with honors, her bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern University in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, and currently serves on the Advisory Council for Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering. She has authored dozens of papers on a variety of subjects including standardizing spacecraft/payload interfaces, conceptual small spacecraft design, infrared signature target modeling, space shuttle integration, and reentry vehicle operational risks.
Tim Buzza - Vice President of Launch and Test
As Vice President of Launch and Test, Mr. Buzza's responsibilities include launch and mission activities in Hawthorne, CA, integration and test work in McGregor, TX, and launch site operations at Cape Canaveral (FL) and Vandenberg (CA).
Since joining SpaceX in 2002, Tim has led the development, testing and successful launch of the Falcon 1 launch vehicle, the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and the Dragon spacecraft. In addition, Tim led development of all three SpaceX launch sites including the one at Cape Canaveral. Under Tim's direction, development of the Cape Canaveral launch site--from demolition to fully operational--was completed in less than 2 years. He also oversaw development of a state-of-the-art Mission Control Center at the company's Hawthorne headquarters to conduct on-orbit operations, as well as of a 700-acre Rocket Development and Test Facility in McGregor, TX, which features nine different test stands used to certify vehicle components for flight.
Prior to joining SpaceX, Tim was the test project manager for Boeing's Delta IV first stage. His experience includes structural testing of the LH2 and LOX tanks, engine section, interstage and nosecone, as well as analysis and verification of the booster and stage separation systems. Tim was responsible for schedule and budget performance on 23 major tests, with a total budget of $100 million.
Tim has extensive test experience in the aerospace industry, ranging from aircraft systems testing (fuel, hydraulics and environmental) to stage development of a medium to heavy payload rocket. His career has taken him all over the world, to major test sites in Europe and America. Tim has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. His work has been published by ASME, and he holds several US patents.
Adam Harris - Vice President of Government Sales
Mr. Harris is the Vice President of Government Sales and is responsible for implementing and overseeing SpaceX interactions with
Federal agencies. In concert with the SpaceX leadership team, Adam works to secure financial support for SpaceX business activities
and programs. Prior to joining SpaceX, Adam most recently served as the Staff Director of the House Select Intelligence Oversight Panel
on the Appropriations Committee. He also held the position of space budget analyst on the professional staff of the Defense
Appropriations Subcommittee.
Adam's government experience includes serving as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He served as an officer for 8 years in the United States Air Force with assignments at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the National Reconnaissance Office.
Adam received his Bachelor of Science in astronautical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Science in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Timothy Hughes - Senior Vice President and General Counsel
As Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Mr. Hughes leads the company's legal, regulatory, and government affairs efforts. Joining SpaceX in 2005 as its first in-house counsel, Tim has defined the legal and government affairs functions from the ground up. Based in SpaceX's Washington, DC office, his responsibilities span the company's corporate, contracting, export control, insurance, litigation and launch licensing portfolios, as well as SpaceX's federal and state government affairs agenda.
Prior to joining SpaceX, Tim served as Majority Counsel to the Committee on Science and Technology in the United States House of Representatives. In this capacity, he provided counsel to the Science Committee, with a particular focus on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. Tim was the principal attorney responsible for drafting and shepherding the passage of commercial human spaceflight legislation, H.R. 3752 and H.R. 5382, and the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 (enacted into law as P.L. 108-492), which established the legal and regulatory framework for commercial human spaceflight in the United States.
A graduate of William and Mary Law School and Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Tim previously worked as a senior associate with the Communications and Litigation groups of Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP, as well as the Office of the Chief Counsel for the United States Secret Service.
Bret Johnsen - Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Johnsen is Chief Financial Officer of SpaceX, overseeing the long-term financial development of the company, interfacing with the financial community and managing the company's internal financial operations. Bret brings more than 20 years of financial leadership experience to SpaceX, mostly in high-profile, publicly traded companies. He has served in this role since joining SpaceX in 2011.
Previously, Bret spent nearly a decade at Broadcom Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, where he helped transform the company into a leading Fortune 500 technology company. Starting out as Controller for a number of business groups within Broadcom, he quickly rose through the ranks. He ultimately was named Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer, overseeing an 80-member accounting organization in nine countries.
After leaving Broadcom, Bret served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Mindspeed Technologies. In 2010 he was named "CFO of the Year" by the Orange County Business Journal for bringing the chip maker through the recession by cutting costs, reworking debt, selling stock and raising cash through patent sales. Bret holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Southern California and a Master of Science in finance from San Diego State University. He is a certified public accountant in the State of California.
Dr. Hans Koenigsmann - Vice President of Mission Assurance
Dr. Koenigsmann is Vice President of Mission Assurance, responsible for assuring the safety and success of SpaceX missions. Most recently, Hans served as Launch Chief Engineer for all of SpaceX and prior to that led SpaceX's Avionics department, responsible for avionics, software, and guidance and control.
Hans' experience includes the development of two suborbital and two orbital launchers, as well as several satellite projects and attitude control systems. He served as head of the Space Technology Division of Germany's Center for Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen. In that role, he was responsible for the development and operation of the satellite BREMSAT.
Following his experience at ZARM, Hans worked for Microcosm as Chief Scientist and Flight Systems Manager for their Scorpius suborbital launch vehicles, where he led a team that developed the vehicle's avionics, guidance and control systems, as well as supported the thrust vector control development. For their Space System Division, he developed satellite attitude control systems using a variety of control concepts, including wheels and magnetic torquers, for which he received a US patent.
Hans has a Ph.D. in aerospace and production technology from the University of Bremen and a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the Technical University of Berlin.
Andy Lambert - Vice President of Production
Mr. Lambert is SpaceX's Vice President of Production and is responsible for production system development and operation for the suite of SpaceX vehicles: Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Dragon. Previously, Andy spent 13 years with the BMW Group in various positions including General Manager for MINI body shell production, strategic production planning specialist, and General Manager for MINI vehicle validation and analysis. During his last three years at BMW, Andy served as Vice President for MINI Logistics and Assembly Production. During his time with MINI he contributed to the rapid development of a production system that nearly tripled the output of its original installed capacity. The system could handle five significantly different body types and almost infinite configurations, a factor of customer option selections and the 80+ countries supplied.
Prior to his time in the automotive sector, Andy spent 9 years in the Royal Air Force as an aircraft engineer, working almost solely on the British Aerospace/McDonnell Douglas Harrier jump jet. During his time there, he saw the introduction of GR5, GR7 and T5 versions of the jet and the associated move to composite structures and associated repair techniques. He was a member of the Harrier display team traveling throughout Europe in support of military and civilian air shows.
Barry Matsumori - Vice President of Commercial Sales and Business Development
Mr. Matsumori brings more than 25 years of experience in technology and business, and he is currently responsible for all commercial sales and business development at SpaceX. Prior to SpaceX, Barry worked for several key telecom companies, primarily at Qualcomm, in developing mobile communications technologies and products lines. His most recent role at Qualcomm was as Vice President, Wireless Connectivity. In this capacity his responsibilities included product management, marketing, and technical development of mobile telecom module products. Barry has also worked on the development of satellite communication infrastructure and terminals at Qualcomm.
Barry has experience working with early stage technology companies in executive management roles. This included developing new product lines based on leading-edge technologies or maturing operational processes leading to an IPO. He has worked in the satellite communications market at Space Systems Loral. Further, he has worked on the development and support of space launch vehicles at General Dynamics. Barry holds a Bachelor of Science in business from Arizona State University and a Master of Science in electrical engineering from the University
of Arizona.
Tom Mueller - Vice President of Propulsion Development
Mr. Mueller has a track record as one of the world's foremost rocket engine designers and is responsible for building and managing an elite propulsion development group at SpaceX. His department is responsible for all propulsion development at SpaceX, including propulsion systems and engines for the launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft. Prior to joining SpaceX as a founding employee, Tom spent 15 years at TRW, where he ran the Propulsion and Combustion Products department and was responsible for liquid rocket engine development activities.
Tom has more than 26 years of relevant experience in the aerospace industry and led development of the Merlin rocket engine, the highest-performing US-made hydrocarbon engine ever and the first American hydrocarbon booster engine made in 40 years. During his career at TRW, he was the lead engineer for development of the TR-106 650,000-lbf thrust LOX/hydrogen engine. Tom has a broad range of rocket engine design, development and testing experience, including all common liquid propellants and many advanced propellants, ranging in thrust from 5 lbf to 650,000 lbf.
Tom has a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Loyola Marymount University and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Idaho. He has received many awards, including the TRW Chairman's Award, the company's most prestigious award for technical achievement, and he holds several US patents in propulsion technology.
Katherine Nelson - Vice President of Marketing and Communications
As Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Ms. Nelson oversees all strategic communications, marketing and media outreach for SpaceX, delivering the vision and story of SpaceX to an international community.
Katherine brings to SpaceX more than 20 years of experience in public relations and digital communications. Prior to SpaceX, she was Vice President of Communications at Discovery Channel, where she managed communications strategy and outreach and led publicity campaigns for many of Discovery's highest profile programs, including MythBusters, Dirty Jobs, and specials like Planet Earth and Shark Week. An award-winning leader in digital and social communications, she launched top Twitter brands including @Discovery and @MythBusters.
Prior to her Vice President role at Discovery, Katherine was cofounder and President of Voicebox Communications, a public relations agency specializing in television, film and sports publicity.
Robert Reagan - Vice President of Machining
Mr. Reagan is responsible for manufacturing operations at SpaceX. As such, he is tasked with building the world's leading launch vehicle manufacturing capability--simultaneously ensuring high efficiency, low cost and an adherence to exceptional and consistent product quality.
Before joining SpaceX, Bob was a key founding executive of Certified Fabricator, Inc., one of the leading companies in North America for outsourced manufacturing. There he was responsible for building and running manufacturing operations. In particular, during his tenure at Certified Fabricator, Bob oversaw construction of several critical subcomponents of the International Space Station and tooling assemblies for construction of the space shuttle external tank.
Marv Vander Weg - Vice President of EELV Customer Office
Mr. Vander Weg is responsible for acquiring and managing Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) missions for SpaceX's U.S.
government customers.
Marv joined SpaceX from United Launch Alliance (ULA), where he was the Vice President for the Customer Program Office. In that role, Vander Weg was responsible for developing customer interfaces and enhancing customer satisfaction during the acquisition and execution of the contractual obligations for the Atlas and Delta launch vehicle programs.
Prior to his time at ULA, Marv served as the Director of the Atlas Government Program Office for Lockheed Martin. Through this role and various other assignments in acquisition and program management at Lockheed Martin, he gained extensive experience with the Air Force's EELV program, the Office of Space Launch in the National Reconnaissance Office and NASA Kennedy launch programs.
Marv received a Bachelor of Science from the United States Air Force Academy in 1972. In 1976, he received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri.
Ken Venner - Chief Information Officer
As CIO, Mr. Venner is responsible for overseeing the design, development and implementation of SpaceX's state-of-the-art computing and information sharing infrastructure. Ken comes to SpaceX from Broadcom, where he began his career as the organization's Chief Information Officer in August 2000. Through the years, Ken received numerous promotions, ultimately being named Executive Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Information Officer in February 2010. Prior to Broadcom, Ken was Vice President of Product Management and Chief Information Officer of Rockwell Electronic Commerce from 1997 to 2000, and he held a number of information sciences/information technology management positions over an 11-year tenure at Lucent Technologies/AT&T; Bell Laboratories.
Ken received a Bachelor of Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology, a Master of Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Business Administration from New Hampshire College.
Contact SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies
Phone:
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Address:
1 Rocket Rd
Hawthorne, CA 90250
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