James R. Thompson
Mr. Thompson was named Orbital's Vice Chairman in April 2002 and its President and Chief Operating Officer in October 1999. He previously served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the company's Launch Systems Group and as Chief Technical Officer.
Prior to joining Orbital in 1991, Mr. Thompson served two years each as NASA's deputy administrator in Washington,
D.C. and for three years as head of its Marshall SpaceFlight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Before becoming Marshall's director in 1986, he served three years as deputy director for technical operations at Princeton University's Plasma Physics Laboratory. From March to June 1986, he served as the vice chairman of the NASA task force inquiring into the cause of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident.
Previously, Mr. Thompson spent 20 years with NASA at Marshall in various positions, including associate director for engineering in the Science and Engineering Directorate and manager of the Space Shuttle
Prior to joining Orbital in 1991, Mr. Thompson served two years each as NASA's deputy administrator in Washington,
D.C. and for three years as head of its Marshall SpaceFlight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Before becoming Marshall's director in 1986, he served three years as deputy director for technical operations at Princeton University's Plasma Physics Laboratory. From March to June 1986, he served as the vice chairman of the NASA task force inquiring into the cause of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident.
Previously, Mr. Thompson spent 20 years with NASA at Marshall in various positions, including associate director for engineering in the Science and Engineering Directorate and manager of the Space Shuttle