Generation Orbit Names A.J. Piplica as CEO
Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) today announced that Mr. Anthony J. Piplica will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2017. Mr. Piplica has served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2013. Mr. Piplica joined the Generation Orbit team in 2012, quickly rising to the position of COO. Within that capacity, he has been instrumental in managing the company’s growth and technical activities. Piplica has served as GO’s primary interface for its network of partners and suppliers, as well as key Air Force, NASA, and commercial customers.
Piplica holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he completed studies in systems engineering, computational fluid dynamics, and entrepreneurship. Prior to joining Generation Orbit, he served as a Sr. Aerospace Engineer at SpaceWorks Enterprises, focusing on aerodynamic design and analysis of launch vehicle and hypersonic aircraft systems.
Dr. John Olds, GO’s co-founder, has served as CEO since May 2012. He will continue to act as the company’s CEO for a transitional period through the end of 2016. Going forward, Dr. Olds will remain actively engaged with GO as Chairman of its Board of Directors. Dr. Olds is also founder and CEO of GO’s parent company, SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. (SEI), also of Atlanta.
“A.J. is a natural leader and team-builder. In addition, he has a strong disciplinary background in rockets and hypersonic flight technologies,” said Olds. “As our young company enters a new period of rapid expansion and hardware development, A.J. is a perfect choice to lead us into the next phase of our strategic roadmap. Key near-term objectives include growth of our technical team and meeting development milestones for our GO1 hypersonic testbed. We are honored to have the trust of several key customers, and we are fully focused on continuing to fulfill our commitments to them. In addition, we have long-term goals for Generation Orbit in the space launch and hypersonics markets.”
“It is an honor and privilege to be afforded the opportunity to lead a truly innovative and unique organization in Generation Orbit,” commented Mr. Piplica. “We’ve built a solid team of men and women to develop a unique set of technologies that will shape our world in the years to come. While I can never replace Dr. Olds in this role, I can only strive to exceed the standard of excellence he has set for us. Moving forward, GO will continue to forge the path to commercial space access and high speed flight, enabling new generations of researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to reach for the stars faster than ever before.”
For additional details contact:
Mrs. Ashley Russ
Director of Communications
Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc.
3353 West Hospital Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30341
ashley.russ@generationorbit.com
About Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc.
Atlanta-based Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) focuses on providing fast, flexible, and dedicated space transportation services for small payloads. The unique air launch approach developed by GO and its partners offers flexible launch capabilities, poised to reduce fixed infrastructure needs, launch costs, and the time from contract signature to launch. Air launch system experience at GO dates back over 10 years, providing a distinct advantage throughout the design and analysis process. As a systems integrator, GO compiles multiple aspects of the launch architecture to provide a streamlined service to government and industry customers alike.
Visit GO online at www.generationorbit.com and follow GO on Twitter @generationorbit.
