Former NASA acting administrator Steve Jurczyk joins IBX as Executive Vice President of Space Operations

Former NASA acting administrator Steve Jurczyk joins IBX as Executive Vice President of Space Operations

Press release from: IBX
Posted: Monday 9th Aug 2021

IBX, an innovation and investment company revolutionizing the space and energy sectors, today announced the appointment of Steve Jurczyk as Executive Vice President of Space Operations. Jurczyk, who recently served as NASA’s acting administrator after a 33-year career with the US space agency, will bring his technical and leadership expertise to the IBX team and expand efforts to identify market opportunities in the space, Explore technology and energy to positively influence the development of the world.

“We are thrilled to have Steve Jurczyk join the IBX team and bring a wealth of knowledge and valued perspective about the aerospace industry to our strategic growth efforts to build the next generation commercial space economy,” said Kam Ghaffarian, Founder and CEO of IBX. “Steve’s focus on innovation and leading breakthrough teams at NASA and across the country has helped open the door to this new era in space exploration. We are fortunate to have him on our IBX team.”

In his new role, Jurczyk will advise space initiatives for all IBX affiliates and support efforts from space hardware to space nuclear. He will also help expand IBX’s work as an innovation incubator and support opportunities for market growth in the commercial space landscape.

IBX is led by Dr. Ghaffarian, whose mission to advance the state of humankind and knowledge has led him to found groundbreaking businesses and charities. Dr. Ghaffarian is the co-founder and executive chairman of several companies including: Axiom Space, which promotes the commercial exploitation of space and builds and operates the first commercial space station; Intuitive Machines, the leader in space services and technology, which will send the first American spacecraft to the surface of the moon since the Apollo program; and X-energy, a nuclear reactor and fuel design company that is building the world’s first commercial advanced nuclear reactor and Fuel system.

“I am pleased to welcome the innovative team from IBX and Dr. To join Ghaffarian and continue my commitment to empowering this new era of space exploration, ”said Jurczyk, whose appointment will take effect on Monday, August 9, 2021.

During his three decades at NASA, Steve Jurczyk held all key management positions and received the agency’s top honors. He was appointed acting administrator (January – May 2021) and led the agency’s workforce through a transition period. As an Associate Administrator, he was NASA’s senior official overseeing all of the centre’s directors and ensuring the success of the agency’s programs. As Deputy Administrator of the Directorate for Space Technology Missions, he formulated and executed the agency’s space technology programs and focused on developing and demonstrating transformative technologies for human and robot exploration of the solar system in collaboration with industry and science. He was also center director and led the team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Jurczyk began his career at NASA in 1988 with Langley in the Electronic Systems Branch as a design, integration and test engineer who developed several space-based earth remote sensing systems. He worked his way up the center’s ranks by contributing to a wide range of research, technology, and engineering disciplines in all of NASA’s mission areas.

Jurczyk has received several awards throughout his NASA career, including two Outstanding Leadership Medals, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive in 2006, and the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executive in 2016 – the highest honors awarded to the federal government are attainable leadership.

ABOUT IBX:

IBX is an innovation and investment company exploring new frontiers in space, technology and energy to advance human potential and make a positive impact on the world. IBX was developed by Dr. Kam Ghaffarian, a visionary entrepreneur and engineer whose mission to improve the state of humanity and human knowledge led him to create companies that transform the space and energy sectors. He is CEO of IBX, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of X-energy, Intuitive Machines and Axiom Space, and supports several other innovative companies and charities.

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