Jan 4, 2008 12:03 PM

Rocketplane's Suborbital Test Pilot John Herrington Resigns

Former Astronaut John Herrington resigned from suborbital space tourism company Rocketplane effective December 21, 2007. Rocketplane’s parent company Rocketplane Kistler had won a Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract from NASA valued at over $200 million, but lost it late last year after failing to meet financial and design milestones. Herrington plans to stay active […]

Former Astronaut John Herrington resigned from suborbital space tourism company Rocketplane effective December 21, 2007. Rocketplane's parent company Rocketplane Kistler had won a Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract from NASA valued at over $200 million, but lost it late last year after failing to meet financial and design milestones.

Herrington plans to stay active in the commercial space industry, continue as a motivational speaker and work with the Chickasaw Nation of which he is also a member.

Herrington said that it was a tough decision to leave Rocketplane but that he enjoyed the opportunity to work with "an incredibly talented group of professionals." He also commented that he will continue working in commercial space because "commercial space is the next great adventure in aerospace."

Rocketplane President George French said previously about Herrington:

“He is a military test pilot, knows flight avionics and astronautics, and knows the environment of space. To us, John is an asset in that he brings education, knowledge, experience, and skills to finish and test our spaceplane, which will regularly take civilian astronauts into space.”

The Rocketplane website understandably made no mention of his departure, however all biographical information for Herrington had been removed. Former Rocketplane President Randy Brinkley, who had also worked at NASA before moving Rocketplane, resigned from Rocketplane in October 2007.

Herrington Resigns from Rocketplane [Chickasaw Nation]
Former Astronaut Herrington Resigns from Rocketplane [Universe Today]

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Image: NASA

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