PRESS RELEASE
Former NOAA Deputy Administrator, Tim Gallaudet,
joins Xona Advisory Board
San Mateo, CA - January 21, 2022 - Xona Space Systems, the aerospace startup developing a LEO satellite navigation constellation, is excited to announce the addition of Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, PhD, US Navy (ret) to its advisory board. Tim’s rich and robust experience as an oceanographer, serving as NOAA’s Deputy Administrator, Superintendent of the Naval Observatory and as the Navigator of the Navy, brings an exceptional perspective to Xona’s vision for the company.
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“Tim deeply understands what it takes to operate a precision time standard designed to provide nearly 100% reliability, which is mission critical for Xona,” says Brian Manning, CEO of Xona. “Precise PNT is largely dependent on maintaining stable and precise time. Tim’s depth of knowledge in this area as Superintendent of the Naval Observatory is unparalleled and we are grateful to have him onboard as a key advisor. “
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As former Deputy Administrator for NOAA, Tim led initiatives and activities to advance marine transportation, sustainable seafood production, ocean exploration and mapping, marine tourism and recreation, and coastal resilience. He also led daily operations of 18 environmental satellites, 16 oceanographic ships, 9 aircraft, 450 boats, 400 technical divers, 6 supercomputers, over a dozen laboratories and several hundred field sites across the country.
“Building and operating a satellite navigation constellation goes far beyond just the space segment,” Manning adds. “Tim brings a very rare and unique experience set that spans from Xona’s ground and network control operations all the way to the end user needs.”
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Prior to NOAA, Tim served for 32 years in the US Navy. His assignments involved aircraft carrier combat operations, counterterrorism activities with Navy SEAL Teams, antisubmarine warfare support, and deep sea research and development, completing his career as Oceanographer of the Navy.
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“What Xona is developing can fill a critical need for the Department of Defense as a robust global navigation alternative and backup to GPS,” says Tim Gallaudet as he weighs in on how to support Xona as its newest advisor. “Xona offers advanced, assured, high precision PNT technology that is ultra-reliable and affordable. Once I learned about their innovative technology, I immediately wanted to help them accelerate their development.”
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Xona is scheduled to launch its first orbital mission this year to demonstrate the capabilities of their Pulsar™ precision LEO PNT network, the first ever high-performance satellite navigation and timing system designed to meet the needs of intelligent systems.
“We’ve been incredibly impressed with Tim, not only from his technical background and experience that spans all the major aspects of Pulsar™, but also with his personality and motivation that very well aligns with Xona’s culture,” says Manning. “As someone who truly believes in our mission, we are grateful to have Tim onboard to help it come to fruition.”
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Jennifer Thompson
+1 (503) 724-4076
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About Xona Space Systems, Inc.
Xona Space Systems is developing the first ever independent high-performance satellite navigation and timing system designed to meet the needs of intelligent systems. Delivered via a secure, high-power signal from Xona's low Earth orbit satellites, the patent-pending Pulsar™ service aims to enable the next wave of connected technology. Learn more at www.xonaspace.com or follow Xona Space Systems on Twitter @XonaSpace.
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