Knight Aerospace, a leading manufacturer and distributor of specialty air transportation products, announced today the appointment of Dr. Joe Schmid to its corporate advisory board.
A highly seasoned flight surgeon and medical operations expert, Schmid will play a pivotal role in guiding Knight's corporate evolution from air to space.
Schmid will leverage his experience leading medical operations and equipment design for deep-space and undersea missions to advise on Knight's research and development efforts for the U.S. Space Force rocket cargo program, which aims to develop unique capabilities for cargo transfer across the world using suborbital spaceflight technology.
"Knight has continually evolved since its inception in 1992 to anticipate and meet the ever-changing needs of service members and government officials in the U.S. and overseas – adapting our expertise to enhance the rocket cargo program is a natural next step that we are excited to take with Dr. Schmid on our side," said Knight Aerospace CEO Bianca Rhodes.
Schmid's career has included roles spearheading government research and training through a 12-day undersea mission as flight surgeon; serving as a crew surgeon for more than a dozen official missions; and developing medical operations best practices and equipment design for deep-space missions. He joins Knight Aerospace's corporate advisory board alongside of: Ret. U.S. Transcomm Commander Will M. Frazer III; Ret. USAF Lt. Gen. Dr. Paul K. Carlton Jr.; and Ret. USAF Col. Dr. James H. Henderson II.
"I am excited by the opportunity to apply what I've learned through diverse functions these past decades to a company I regard as a leading force in the aerospace industry, during what we all agree is a critical juncture of the orbital and suborbital technology innovation era," Schmid said. "The renewed interest in space exploration we're seeing today is dependent not just on the juggernauts and the public sectors, but companies like Knight Aerospace, which has evolved its vision ahead of industry-shaping trends."