SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--Mar. 12, 2026—Astranis Space Technologies Corp., today announced that General (Ret.) John E. Hyten has been appointed to serve as chairman of a new strategic advisory board created by the company, effective immediately. 

As Chairman, General Hyten will advise the Astranis leadership team across all aspects of strategy, business, and technology as the company builds resilient space architectures for both commercial and government customers.

“General Hyten’s extensive experience driving national security space strategy and operations over decades of military service gives Astranis a decisive edge as we enter our next phase of growth,” said John Gedmark, CEO and Co-founder of Astranis. “He brings a passion for innovative, fast-moving approaches and a deep conviction for building a robust American space industrial base. We are honored and excited to have him advise Astranis as we rapidly scale the business across both commercial and government markets.”

"Astranis is uniquely positioned to drive a strategic shift to smaller, proliferated space systems in higher orbits,” said General John Hyten. “Their progress over the past several years is impressive and the company’s technology represents innovative and resilient capabilities that I see playing a large role in advancing U.S. strategic interests. I look forward to working with John and his team."

General Hyten’s appointment reflects the expansion of Astranis’ role as a strategic partner to the U.S. government and defense community.

About General John Hyten

General Hyten served as the 11th Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, from 2019 to 2021.

General Hyten previously served as the Commander of United States Strategic Command, where he commanded 150,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. In that command, he was responsible for the nuclear triad that includes all operational nuclear weapons of the United States. He held direct responsibility for their readiness, their movements, and, if called upon, their strike capabilities. He was also responsible for all US missile defense, as well as all supporting space, cyber, and ground systems. 

General Hyten also served from 2014 to 2016 as the Commander of Air Force Space Command, the predecessor organization to the United States Space Force.

Gen. Hyten received his bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied sciences from Harvard University, on an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship, and was commissioned a second lieutenant. The general’s career began in engineering and acquisition before transitioning to space operations.

General Hyten famously drew a line in the sand on legacy large satellites and kicked off the current wave of smaller, proliferated satellite systems, stating "I won’t support the development any further of large, big, fat, juicy targets. I won’t support that. We are going to go down a different path. And we have to go down that path quickly.”

General Hyten resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife Laura Hyten.

About Astranis

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe —large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military.

With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization.

Astranis has raised over $800 million from some of the world’s best investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Blackrock, and Fidelity, and employs a team of 500 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

Media Contact

Kati Dahm: press@astranis.com

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