Mike Gold Moves from Bigelow to SSL

Mike Gold, the Washington voice of Bigelow Aerospace for more than a decade, has joined SSL (formerly Space Systems Loral) as its Vice President of Washington Operations.

Gold is well known in Washington space policy circles as chairman of the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC), dogged reformer of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and indefatigable supporter of the Boston Red Sox.

During his time with Bigelow, the company signed an agreement with NASA to attach a test version of Bigelow’s expandable habitat to the International Space Station (ISS).  The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) was delivered to ISS aboard the SpaceX CRS-8 mission last month and is currently attached to an ISS docking port.  The process of expanding it to full size is expected to begin later this month.  Bigelow and SpaceX also announced plans in 2012 to send people to Bigelow space stations in low Earth orbit (LEO) aboard SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, an effort aimed at the international market. 

The international aspect of space is one with which Gold is especially identified because of his role in ITAR reform, which came to fruition in 2014 with changes that make it easier to export communications satellites by moving them from the State Department’s Munitions List to the Department of Commerce’s Commerce Control List.

SSL is one of the world’s major manufacturers of communications satellites.  Once owned by Loral (and before that by Ford Aerospace), it was bought by Canada’s MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates (MDA) in 2012.  It also builds other types of satellites and is one of four companies selected by JPL for study contracts for the design of the robotic spacecraft for NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission. SSL also is working with JPL on a potential Discovery mission to study the asteroid Psyche and with DARPA on on-orbit satellite assembly.

SSL is based in Palo Alto, CA.  SSL President John Celli said in a press statement that Gold “brings a wealth of experience with both civil and defense organizations and will strengthen our ability to make a contribution to government programs.”

Gold has a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Brandeis University.