BRIAN BARNETT

MSUA Board of Directors

Solstar Space Company

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M. Brian Barnett is a serial space and satellite industry entrepreneur and a recognized authority and leader in the commercial space and mobile satellite services (MSS) industries. He has over 30 years experience in the commercial and civil space, mobile satellite services, and solar and clean energy industries. He is currently the Founder and CEO of Solstar Space Co, the first internet service provider in space.

 

He has been Principal Investigator on multiple successful spaceflight payload missions, including the highly successful #FirstWiFiinSpace and #FirstTweetfromSpace missions. He invented the Schmitt Space Communicator that now resides at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum.

 

During his time at NASA, he managed Space Shuttle experiments and integrated upwards of 20 payloads for the astronaut crew training module for the International Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab mission. He provided project management, payload development/integration, astronaut crew training at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center & Johnson Space Center. He also worked as NASA's contract lead to document all Space Shuttle operations processes as directed by Congress after Challenger.

 

As a management consultant, he established and built KPMG's space and high tech practice into a $1 million practice in New Mexico. In 1998 Mr. Barnett led the team that chose the location for what is now Spaceport America. He also led the team that wrote the first business plan for Spaceport America.

 

As a project manager, he has managed upwards of 100 projects to success. Since 1999, he has founded 7 companies including Satwest® LLC, Solstar Energy Devices, LLC., and Solstar® Space Company. His skills include high-tech start-up formation and management, project management, market research, business development, business planning and strategy, and sales. He has consulted with 15 high-tech startups, assisting companies to successful exits. 

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