Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has announced the appointment of Craig Gibbons as its new General Manager, Arnhem Space Centre (ASC).
Gibbon’s appointment comes as ELA works to bolster its leadership team and skill base in readiness to service up to seven rocket companies to be based at the Arnhem Space Centre, commencing in 2025.
He will take on the newly created position to oversee the phase 2 development of the spaceport and support ELA’s new ‘resident launcher’ operating model – a multi-user commercial spaceport servicing several co-located 'newspace' rocket companies, each conducting multiple launches over multi-year campaigns.
With a foundation as an Army Officer and a Helicopter Pilot, Gibbons brings over 30 years of experience in roles providing leadership in operations and transformation.
Following his defence force career, Gibbons made the transition into Senior Executive roles within commercial settings, with his most recent role being in Auckland, NZ, as the CEO of Northern Rescue Helicopter Limited.
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Craig to this critical role within ELA. As we prepare for our next launches Craig’s appointment is vital to ensure we meet our target of developing a world-class spaceport and deliver on our promise to provide first-class launch services to our rocket launchers and their payload customers,” said Michael Jones, Group CEO and Executive Chairman of Equatorial Launch Australia.
“As the industry matures and transitions from institutional launch to increasing commercial launch requirements, we see an opportunity for the Arnhem Space Centre to service this new generation of space companies and offer an alternative to congested overseas spaceports. Craig’s broad background of leading complicated and highly technical businesses and programs to deliver successful outcomes for customers positions him well to take on the project.”