Orbex appoints new chief executive officer and executive chairman as it prepares for completion of Sutherland Spaceport
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Orbex has made two key appointments to its leadership team as it prepares for the completion of Sutherland Spaceport.
The space company has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman.
Phillip Chambers takes up the role of chief executive while Miguel Belló Mora joins the firm as executive chair.
Both men are regarded as heavyweights in the technology and space sector
Mr Chambers has more than two decades of experience with some of Europe's most successful start-ups including Gumtree, Peakon and Qype.
He has already been part of the Orbex journey, becoming an investor in the company's Series C funding round during which the company raised £40.4 million.
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Mr Belló mora was most recently Director General of the Spanish Space Agency and Commissioner for the Aerospace Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE), where he oversaw a 4.5 billion euro programme for the Spanish aerospace sector.
This followed an illustrious career in senior positions including founder and chief executive of DEIMOS space group and CEO of the Atlantic Research Centre.
The pair join Orbex at a critical time for the UK space sector, which is rapidly developing the capabilities needed to launch satellites into orbit for the first time.
Orbex has already confirmed six commercial satellite launch contracts and is developing one of the most environmentally sustainable orbital launch rockets in the world.
As Chief Executive, Mr Chambers will oversee the next phase in Orbex’s journey, including the completion of its Sutherland Spaceport on the A’Mhoine peninsula on the north coast.
As full-time Executive Chairman, Mr Belló Mora will provide crucial industry knowledge to support Orbex’s strategy.
Mr Chambers said: “It’s a hugely exciting time to be joining Orbex and the global space industry as we look ahead to a significant period of growth for the business.
“As we progress towards the completion of the Sutherland Spaceport and our continuing work towards our first launch, we’re about to embark on an incredible journey.
“Orbex’s work is pivotal to making the UK a hub for European orbital launches, and having already invested in the vision, I’m looking forward to focusing all my energy on taking Orbex into its next phase of growth.”
Mr Belló Mora said: “I have never experienced a more exciting time in my 40 years in the space industry.
"Orbex’s ambition to continually drive the industry forward in both technology and green innovation, is unique for the business, and I am pleased to be able to help shape this.
“Joining at the same time as Phil is an added bonus, and I look forward to working closely together during what is shaping up to be a crucial few years for Orbex.”
Orbex began construction of Sutherland Spaceport (formerly Space Hub Sutherland) last year. It is the first vertical launch spaceport to be built on the UK mainland and will become Orbex’s ‘home’ spaceport, launching up to 12 rockets per year to place satellites into orbit.
The company is also building Prime, a 19-metre long, two-stage rocket designed to transport small satellites weighing up to 180kg into low Earth orbit. Orbex Prime will be powered by a renewable bio-fuel, allowing the rocket to significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to other rockets of a similar size being developed elsewhere around the world.
