Press Release

Sierra Space Appoints Corbett Hoenninger as Senior Vice President, Engineering

By SpaceRef Editor
July 7, 2022
Filed under , ,

Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company
at the forefront of creating and building the future of space transportation and
infrastructure for low-Earth orbit (LEO) commercialization, today announced the
appointment of Corbett Hoenninger to Senior Vice President of Engineering. Hoenninger
will be based at Sierra Space’s Louisville, Colorado operations, and report directly to CEO
Tom Vice.

A long-time member of the Sierra Space engineering team, with more than ten years of
experience at Sierra Space, Hoenninger brings a unique combination of engineering
knowledge and expertise with a legacy of leadership in the growth and transformation of
the company. He most recently served as Senior Director within the company’s Space
Transportation team, acting as a key member of the team that led the Dream Chaser
spaceplane on a successful test flight.

“Sierra Space is shaping and implementing the future of space, and I am immensely
honored to continue working toward our collective mission to commercialize it in ways
that will vastly benefit life on Earth,” said Hoenninger. “Many years of my career have
been working at Sierra Space and I am thrilled to see the vision and executional
excellence that is in place. As leader of the engineering team, and part of the Executive
Leadership Team, I look forward to continuing to effectively contribute in new ways to the
future of the company.”

“I am pleased to announce Corbett’s promotion to lead our engineering team,” added
Vice. “Corbett has been a paramount leader in the formative years of our company and
has already made a lasting impact on Sierra Space. I look forward to seeing all of the
awe-inspiring work Corbett and his team will deliver as we approach the launch of Dream
Chaser, Orbital Reef and all the other projects and partnerships that will see Sierra Space
impacting humanity’s history.”

Hoenninger has a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Aerospace Engineering from
Texas A&M University and a Master’s of Science in Physics from the University of
Houston Clear Lake. Prior to Sierra Space, Hoenninger worked at NASA Johnson Space
Center on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) programs. Before
entering the space industry, he also served as a Petty Officer in the United States Navy
aboard the USS Enterprise.

Sierra Space recently announced its plans for a Human Spaceflight Center and Astronaut
Training Academy that will recruit, train and prepare the future astronaut corps that will
be required to support Dream Chaser® operations and the commercialization of space.

About Sierra Space

Sierra Space (www.sierraspace.com) is a leading commercial space company at the
forefront of innovation and the commercialization of space. Sierra Space is building
platforms in space to benefit life on Earth. The company is in the latter stages of
doubling its headcount, with large presences in Colorado, Florida and Wisconsin.
Significant investors in Sierra Space include General Atlantic, Coatue, and Moore
Strategic Ventures.

With more than 30 years and 500 missions of space flight heritage, Sierra Space is
enabling the future of space transportation with Dream Chaser®, the world’s only winged
commercial spaceplane. Under construction at its Colorado headquarters and expected
to launch in 2023 on the first of a series of NASA missions to the International Space
Station, Dream Chaser® can safely carry cargo – and eventually crew – to on-orbit
destinations, returning to land on compatible commercial airport runways worldwide.
Sierra Space is also building an array of in-space destinations for low Earth orbit (LEO)
commercialization including the LIFETM habitat at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida,
a three-story commercial habitation and science platform designed for LEO. Both
Dream Chaser® and LIFETM are central components to Orbital Reef, a mixed-use
business park in LEO being developed by principal partners Sierra Space and Blue
Origin, which is expected to be operational by 2027.

CONTACTS:

Alex Walker
Sierra Space
(303) 803-2297
Alex.Walker@sncorp.com

Eric Becker

ICR for Sierra Space
(303) 638-3469
SierraSpace@icrinc.com 

SpaceRef staff editor.