John Gedmark

John Gedmark is CEO & Cofounder of Astranis and an aerospace engineer. Astranis builds and operates small, low-cost telecommunications satellites for high orbits, starting with geostationary orbit (GEO). Astranis is deploying satellites on contract for enterprise and government customers around the world, bringing low-cost broadband internet to remote and underserved areas. The company has raised over $750 million to date with rounds led by Andreessen Horowitz, Venrock, and Blackrock, and has a team of 300 based out of their San Francisco Bay Area headquarters.

John cofounded and served as Executive Director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, the industry association for new space companies including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. John reported to a CEO-level board of directors and led the commercial space industry’s efforts to privatize flights of NASA astronauts to low Earth orbit, a historic shift worth more than $10 billion to the commercial space industry.

Previously John served as the Director of Rocket Flight Operations for the X Prize Foundation. John holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University and a Master of Science degree from Stanford University, both in aerospace engineering, with a focus on rocket propulsion.