Terran hires Virgin Orbit’s Gingiss
June 16, 2023
By Chris Forrester
Terran Orbital has hired Tony Gingiss as its COO. Gingiss has a 30-year history of work within the aerospace industry including more than two decades with Boeing Satellite. Other positions include CEO at Airbus OneWeb Satellites and finally as COO at Virgin Orbit.
Gingiss was CEO at Airbus OneWeb Satellites (AOS), the joint-venture between Airbus and OneWeb from September 2017 until January 2021, where he led Design, Low-Rate-Initial Production, Pilot Launches, and Full Production.
“Under his leadership, AOS revolutionised a new approach to aerospace manufacturing, building a 100,000-square-foot factory, and scaling production to greater than two satellites per day. Most recently, Gingiss served as COO at Virgin Orbit where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations. His team achieved incredible milestones in the industry such as the first liquid-fueled air-launched rocket, four successful Customer launches, and a first-ever launch from Spaceport Cornwall,” states a filing to the US Securities & Exchange Commission.
Gingiss will receive a signing-on payment of $50,000 and a salary of $440,000 plus share options and performance bonus.
His tasks are significant. Terran in May started construction on a new satellite production facility in Irvine, California. The facility is located on a five-acre site and upon completion will increase Terran Orbital’s satellite assembly, integration, and test facility space by over three times the Company’s current size. All satellite assembly will be transitioned to this new facility enabling the dedication of Terran Orbital’s existing facilities to the production of components and modules. This optimisation will enhance the efficiency and capacity of Terran Orbital’s entire production system.
Top of the list is production of Rivada Network’s 300-satellite mega-constellation.