Over the last 2 years I've been getting to know four-star General John Hyten, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
I'm very excited to announce that Gen. Hyten will be joining Astranis as Strategic Advisor, effective immediately, working directly with me.
Gen Hyten will also Chair a new Strategic Advisory Board we are announcing today, that will advise me and the Astranis executive team as we scale the business and expand our product offerings for commercial customers around the world and for the US government.
As the former Commander of US Strategic Command, and the former Commander of Air Force Space Command —the predecessor organization to US Space Force— Gen. Hyten is well-known as one of the most respected and admired leaders in the history of US military space. Indeed, he is something of a legendary figure in our industry. See bio below.
Famously, Gen. Hyten drew a line in the sand on legacy large satellites and kicked off the current wave of smaller, proliferated satellite systems, stating "I won’t support the development any further of large, big, fat, juicy targets. I won’t support that. We are going to go down a different path. And we have to go down that path quickly.”
At Astranis we build secure, resilient communications and space infrastructure for customers around the world and for the US military. With geopolitical conflicts on the rise, that is needed now more than ever.
Gen. Hyten brings a passion for innovative, fast-moving approaches and we could not be more honored and excited to have him supporting us at Astranis.
About General John Hyten
General Hyten served as the 11th Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, from 2019 to 2021.
General Hyten previously served as the Commander of United States Strategic Command, where he commanded 150,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. In that command, he was responsible for the nuclear triad that includes all operational nuclear weapons of the United States. He held direct responsibility for their readiness, their movements, and, if called upon, their strike capabilities. He was also responsible for all US missile defense, as well as all supporting space, cyber, and ground systems.
Prior to that, General Hyten served as the Commander of Air Force Space Command, the predecessor organization to the United States Space Force.
Gen. Hyten received his bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied sciences from Harvard University, on an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship, and was commissioned a second lieutenant. The general’s career began in engineering and acquisition before transitioning to space operations.
General Hyten resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife Laura Hyten.