WASHINGTON — Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is joining Quantum Space as its chief executive as the company pursues emerging opportunities in national security space.
Quantum Space announced May 5 that it hired Bridenstine as chief executive. Kerry Wisnosky, who had been serving as president and chief executive, will retain his role as president with a focus on operations and spacecraft development.
Bridenstine was NASA’s administrator from 2018 to 2021 and previously was elected to three terms in the House of Representatives, where he served on the House Armed Services Committee and House Science Committee. After leaving NASA, he established The Artemis Group, a government relations and advisory services company.
Quantum Space is developing Ranger, a highly maneuverable spacecraft with hybrid chemical-electric propulsion. The first Ranger spacecraft is slated to launch in the second quarter of 2027.
The company, which originally focused on developing spacecraft for cislunar operations, has increasingly turned its attention to national security applications. It was one of three companies that received awards from DARPA in April for its Lunar Assay via Small Satellite Orbiter (LASSO) program, which proposes to develop a lunar orbiter that would also test “sustained and advanced maneuverability” in cislunar space.
It was also one of 14 companies selected by the Space Force last month for Andromeda, a $1.8 billion program to develop satellites and supporting technologies for monitoring activities in geosynchronous orbit.
Those needs, and the planned capabilities of Ranger, attracted Bridenstine to Quantum Space. “Think about avoiding operational surprise, denying first-mover advantage and responsible counterspace campaigning,” he said in an interview. “All of those capabilities require tremendous amounts of delta-v.”
Ranger, he said, was a “game changer” given its maneuverability as well as ability to be refueled. “You put that all together, and it became really attractive.”
“Jim is a transformational leader and has defined the most significant partnerships and policy initiatives between government and the commercial space industry,” said Kam Ghaffarian, co-founder and executive chairman of Quantum Space, in a statement. “Jim is poised to lead Quantum Space during this next phase of growth and as spending on space defense and exploration accelerates.”
Bridenstine said that Ghaffarian offered to devote more attention to Quantum Space after another company in his portfolio, nuclear energy firm X-energy, went public on the Nasdaq in April. “I’ve known Kam for many years and what I’ve found is that, if he puts his heart into something, it really does matter,” Bridenstine said.
Bridenstine added that The Artemis Group will continue operations after his departure, with senior partner Gabe Sherman taking over as managing director.