# Melanie Stricklan

> Melanie Stricklan is a space-industry executive, Slingshot Aerospace co-founder and former CEO, and a 21-year U.S. Air Force veteran. After leading Space Workforce for Tomorrow and serving as Space Foundation’s chief innovation and advancement officer, she joined Vast in July 2026 as senior vice president of Special Programs, serving U.S. defense and intelligence customers.

- **Role:** Senior Vice President of Special Programs at Vast
- **Organizations:** Vast, Slingshot Aerospace, Space Foundation, Space Workforce for Tomorrow (formerly Space Workforce 2030), United States Air Force, National Space Council Users Advisory Group, FAA Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee
- **Education:** B.S. in Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, M.S. in Space Operations Management, with an emphasis in Space Systems Engineering, Webster University
- **Known for:** Logged more than 1,500 flight hours aboard ground-surveillance aircraft during 21 years in the U.S. Air Force., Commanded experimental spacecraft missions and led development of space-control technologies for the Department of Defense., Named to Inc.’s 2019 Female Founders 100.

## Career timeline

- **1996** — Joined the U.S. Air Force as an enlisted airman; subsequently completed officer training and moved into space operations.
- **2017** — Retired after 21 years of Air Force service and co-founded Slingshot Aerospace with David Godwin and Thomas Ashman.
- **2018** — Delivered the TEDxManhattanBeach talk How images from space help us protect the earth.
- **2021** — Became Slingshot Aerospace CEO; the company concentrated on space situational awareness and dropped geospatial work.
- **2021-08** — Slingshot announced Beacon, with pilot participants including OneWeb, Spire Global and Orbit Fab.
- **2023-08** — Resigned from Slingshot Aerospace, as stated in her subsequent public LinkedIn note.
- **2024-03** — Appointed inaugural executive director of Space Workforce 2030.
- **2026-07** — Appointed senior vice president of Special Programs at Vast on July 22.

## Achievements

- Logged more than 1,500 flight hours aboard ground-surveillance aircraft during 21 years in the U.S. Air Force.
- Commanded experimental spacecraft missions and led development of space-control technologies for the Department of Defense.
- Named to Inc.’s 2019 Female Founders 100.
- Received Via Satellite’s 2022 Satellite Executive of the Year award, presented in 2023.
- Won the 2025 Women in MilSatCom Innovation Award from Satcoms Innovation Group and SAE Media Group.
- Served on the National Space Council Users Advisory Group and the FAA Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Vast announced her appointment as senior vice president of its new Special Programs division on July 22, serving U.S. defense and intelligence customers.
- **2025-11** — Named winner of the Women in MilSatCom Innovation Award at the Global MilSatCom conference in London.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mstricklan

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/melanie-stricklan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-20