- Muon Space has named Jody Kelman chief product officer
- Emelia Probasco joins as head of strategy and communications
- The hires follow a $250 million Series C round announced in August
Muon Space has appointed former Lyft executive Jody Kelman as chief product officer and Emelia Probasco, a non-resident senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, as strategy and communications lead. The company announced the appointments Thursday as it boosts production and broadens its government and commercial constellation work portfolio.
CEO Jonny Dyer said Muon Space is moving beyond building satellites toward products and platforms that can support a wider range of customers and missions.
“Jody and Emmy bring deep expertise to the leadership team as we enter our most consequential period of growth yet,” Dyer added.
What Will Kelman and Probasco Oversee at Muon Space?
Kelman will head the product organization, defining what Muon builds and translating its mission-delivery experience into offerings that can scale.
Probasco will steer and articulate corporate strategy, advising executives on the defense, policy, budgetary and technology factors affecting Muon’s markets, while also managing external engagement.
Who Is Jody Kelman?
Kelman spent nearly 10 years at transport technology firm Lyft, most recently as executive vice president of customers, overseeing the ridesharing, autonomous, business-to-business and advertising units and more than 1,000 employees. She earlier ran Lyft’s autonomous vehicle and fleet operations, including robotaxi deployment.
Her background also includes work at McKinsey & Company and a seat on President Barack Obama’s 2008 technology transition team.
Who Is Emelia Probasco?
Probasco serves at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology as a non-resident senior fellow directing research on the international military use of artificial intelligence. She was also previously the chief communications officer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
A Rhodes Scholar, Probasco served as a Navy surface warfare officer and later advised and wrote speeches for the chief of naval operations.
How Is Muon Space Scaling Its Satellite Business?
The appointments follow Muon’s $250 million Series C round, led by Eclipse in August. The company is ramping up output at a 130,000-square-foot plant in San Jose, California, built to produce as many as 500 satellites a year. It recently launched its 12th satellite and has more than 50 spacecraft in development.
In late August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the company $11 million to develop, launch and operate a microwave sounding instrument whose weather data the agency can buy commercially. In June, NASA added Muon to its $476 million Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition contract.
