Moon Express, the ambitious Silicon Valley commercial venture aiming to be one of the first Moon resource companies, announced last night at the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference that Dr. Andy Aldrin was joining the company as its new President.

Dr. Aldrin, the son of Buzz Aldrin, is leaving United Launch Alliance, the joint venture of mega-companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin for the relative uncertainty of a small yet growing "NewSpace" company with promise but no guarantees of success.

Dr. Aldrin was Director of Business Development and Advanced Programs at United Launch Alliance. Previously he served in various positions in Business Development and Strategy at the Boeing Company, including vice president and director of Boeing Launch Services and director of Business Development for Boeing NASA Systems.

"Andy is a space industry veteran with an exceptional talent for strategic management and assimilating advanced technology concepts into market winners," said Bob Richards, Moon Express Co-Founder & CEO. "I have known Andy for decades, admiring the expanse of his space career from big picture thinker to street smart business executive. Andy's experience will be invaluable to MoonEx, and I have every confidence in an Aldrin piloting us toward the Moon."

Dr. Aldrin's previous career included leading U.S. policy research institutes, including the RAND Corporation and the Institute for Defense Analyses. He is currently a member of the adjunct faculty at International Space University and has also served as an adjunct professor at California State University at Long Beach and the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

He holds a PhD. in political science from the University of California at Los Angeles, writing his dissertation on the creation of the Soviet space program, a Masters of Business Administration from Trium, a Master's degree in science, technology and public policy from George Washington University, and a Bachelor's degree in political science and international relations from University of California at Santa Barbara.

"I am thrilled to be part of an entrepreneurial company that is helping transform the commercial space industry," said Aldrin. "It is exciting to join a pioneering enterprise filled with passion and dedication to the bold dream of unlocking the Moon's mysteries and resources, and putting the United States back on the surface of the Moon in a permanent way."

Dr. Aldrin will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the company.

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