Virgin Galactic Appoints Pilot Kelly Latimer to Director of Flight Test
March 30 2022 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Veteran pilot to lead flight test program as
the Company progresses towards commercial service launch and
develops future spaceship fleet
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (the “Company” or
“Virgin Galactic”), an aerospace and space travel company, today
announced that veteran pilot and retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col.
Kelly Latimer has been promoted to Director of Flight Test.
Latimer joined Virgin Galactic in 2015 as its first female test
pilot. She currently serves as a pilot for the mothership, VMS Eve,
and was pilot in command for the Unity 21 mission and second in
command for the historic Unity 22 mission. She will continue to
serve as a Virgin Galactic pilot and will fly the Company’s
spaceships on future test and commercial missions.
In her new role, Latimer will oversee the entirety of the
Company’s flight test program including design, planning,
execution, and post-flight analysis. This includes leading the
flight test engineering team and managing mission control engineers
who gather and analyze flight data to validate the safety and
performance of the spaceflight system. Latimer will supervise the
completion of the flight test program for Virgin Galactic’s current
fleet, which is scheduled to resume later this year, and will work
in parallel on the development of the Company’s new motherships and
Delta class spaceships.
“The role of Director of Flight Test is essential to our
mission,” said Mike Moses, President, Space Missions and Safety at
Virgin Galactic. “We are on the precipice of delivering commercial
space travel at scale, and the safe, efficient, and timely
execution of our flight test programs will be a key part of our
success. I have had the privilege of working alongside Kelly since
she joined us more than six years ago. She is not only a
world-class pilot but has the experience and leadership skills to
grow and run a high-performing team responsible for the flight test
programs for our current and future vehicles.”
“I am honored to be named Director of Flight Test for Virgin
Galactic to lead both a distinguished team and flight test
program,” said Latimer. “My whole career has been devoted to
piloting and testing aircraft in an effort to design and develop
technologies and open up new frontiers. It has been a lifelong
passion to make space more accessible, and to contribute to this
effort alongside the talented men and women at Virgin Galactic is
an absolute privilege.”
Latimer joined Virgin Galactic from Boeing where she was a key
team member supporting system development, aircraft design,
engineering and certification. She also served as Deputy Director
for Airlift Operations and Chief Pilot for Boeing’s C-17 program
and was responsible for global operations and managing test pilots
and other aircrew for test flight operations.
During her 20 years of service with the U.S. Air Force, Latimer
flew on more than 90 combat missions. She retired from the Air
Force in 2007 to serve as the first female research test pilot at
the NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center. At NASA, she
conducted experimental flight test and test support on the
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy 747SP, T-38, C-17,
747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, BE200 and T-34 for various NASA
research projects.
Over her career, she has logged more than 7,000 flight hours and
more than 1,000 hours in test flight in over 40 aircraft. She is
type rated in heavy aircraft and fighters including B767/B757,
B737, B787, and T-38/F-5.
Most recently, Latimer also served as the Chief Test Pilot for
Virgin Orbit’s launch vehicle, “Cosmic Girl” – an adapted Boeing
747 – in support of the company’s LauncherOne program.
About Virgin Galactic Holdings
Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and space travel company,
pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and
researchers with its advanced air and space vehicles. It is
developing a spaceflight system designed to connect the world to
the love, wonder and awe created by space travel and to offer
customers a transformative experience. You can find more
information at https://www.virgingalactic.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of federal securities laws with respect to
Virgin Galactic, including statements regarding the Company’s
spaceflight systems, markets and expected flight schedule [and
expected benefits of its fleet enhancement program]. These
forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such
as “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,”
“intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,”
“should,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking
statements are predictions, projections and other statements about
future events that are based on current expectations and
assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and
uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to
differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press
release, including but not limited to the factors, risks and
uncertainties discussed in our filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), accessible on the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at
www.virgingalactic.com. These filings identify and address other
important risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s
actual events and results to differ materially from those contained
in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put
undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and, except as
required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not
intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events, or
otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220330005367/en/
Aleanna Crane – Vice President Communications
virgingalacticpress@virgingalactic.com +1 575 800 4422
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