Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announces Rob Peckham has joined the company as Vice President of Business Development.

In this role, Peckham's primary responsibilities include the development and expansion of SpaceX's customer base across its family of launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft, as well as leading the sales, marketing and mission management teams.

Most recently, Rob served as President and General Manager of Sea Launch, the international launch services consortium formed by four companies: Boeing Commercial Space, Energia of Russia, SDO Yuzhnoye / PO Yuzhmash of Ukraine, and Aker Solutions of Norway. During his nine years with Sea Launch, Peckham oversaw commercial sales in excess of one billion dollars and substantial growth of the company during its transition to a fully operational launch system.

Prior to Sea Launch, Peckham worked for Hughes Space and Communications, where he managed the company's strategic long term launch agreements, and McDonnell Douglas where he was responsible for establishing business relationships with domestic and international customers for commercial Delta launch services.

Rob has extensive experience working with global customers, partners, and manufacturers, and leading multi-cultural teams. He earned an MBA degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., and a BA degree from California State University in Chico.

Rob will report to President Gwynne Shotwell, who previously held the VP of Business Development position.

“Rob's global space business and leadership experience will be invaluable as we expand our roster of commercial launches,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX. “We are pleased that Rob has chosen to join the SpaceX team.”

The SpaceX launch manifest currently lists two dozen launches for domestic and international customers, including a dozen flights for NASA to resupply the International Space Station beginning in 2010.

About SpaceX
SpaceX is revolutionizing access to space with a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft designed to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. With its Falcon line of launch vehicles, powered by internally-developed Merlin engines, SpaceX offers light, medium and heavy lift capabilities to deliver spacecraft into any altitude and inclination, from low-Earth orbit to geosynchronous to planetary missions. On September 28, 2008, Falcon 1, designed and manufactured from the ground up by SpaceX, became the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to orbit the Earth, demonstrating that through simplicity, both reliability and low cost can be achieved in commercial spaceflight.

As a winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition (COTS), SpaceX will conduct three flights of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, culminating in Dragon berthing with the ISS. SpaceX is the only COTS contender that has the capability to return cargo and crew to Earth. NASA also has an option to demonstrate crew services to the International Space Station (ISS) using the Falcon 9 / Dragon system.

In addition, NASA recently selected the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for the ISS Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract award. The contract includes 12 flights between 2010 and 2015 and represents a guaranteed minimum of 20,000 kg to be carried to the ISS.

Founded in 2002, the SpaceX team now numbers more than 620 full time employees, primarily located in Hawthorne, California, with additional locations in Texas, at SpaceX's Test Facility in McGregor near Waco; offices in Washington DC; and launch facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific.