By 
On July 8, Muon Space announced the appointment of several senior executives as it accelerates operations to meet growing commercial and national security demand. The new leaders bring deep expertise across government, traditional aerospace primes, commercial space, and advanced technology – with backgrounds spanning the Space Development Agency (SDA), Raytheon, Loft Orbital, Google, and more.
“We’re assembling top talent across every domain to build a truly end-to-end space systems company,” said Greg Smirin, president of Muon Space. “This is a strategic investment in the people and infrastructure that will enable us to scale with purpose and lead in the next era of space innovation.”
These appointments follow Muon’s $146 million Series B funding round, the acquisition of propulsion startup Starlight Engines, and a tenfold expansion in production capacity – positioning the company to deliver up to 500 satellites per year in the 100kg to 500kg+ class.
Muon’s new executive appointments include:
Paula Trimble, VP of government affairs and strategy – Trimble brings extensive experience in national security space policy, defense innovation, and federal engagement. Most recently, she served as Policy Chief and Director of Legislative Affairs at the SDA, part of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), where she led congressional engagement and supported streamlined acquisition strategies for proliferated and resilient next-generation missile tracking and tactical satellite communications systems. Her government service also includes over eight years with the DoD’s Rapid Reaction Technology Office, promoting prototyping and experimentation programs. Earlier, she worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commercialization and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, where she supported early milestones in commercial reusable launch during the 2004 SpaceShipOne X-Prize flights. Trimble’s appointment underscores Muon’s expanding role as a trusted federal partner across defense, climate, and space domain awareness missions.
Carl Nardell, VP of mission engineering – Nardell leads Muon’s mission architecture and systems engineering, designing resilient, high-performance spacecraft for government and commercial users. He brings more than 20 years of technical leadership across aerospace, defense, and commercial tech. He previously served as Principal Engineering Fellow at Raytheon Technologies, and held senior positions at Google (Skybox Imaging), MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and Michigan Aerospace Corp., where he was CEO.
Gautier Brunet, VP of product – Brunet oversees product strategy and roadmap alignment across hardware, software, and mission operations. He brings a blend of engineering expertise and commercial acumen from roles at Loft Orbital, where he served as VP of Sales and Business Development, and ThrustMe, where he was Chief Operating Officer. He began his career in engineering roles at Airbus and the European Space Agency.
Ryan Gray, chief financial officer – Gray leads Muon’s financial operations, strategy, and long-term planning as the company scales into full-rate production. With over 25 years of finance leadership in both public and private companies, he previously served as CFO of Powin Energy and NASDAQ-listed Planar Systems. He has also held senior finance roles at Tektronix, Merant, and Radisys, and is recognized for expertise in capital management, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency.
Shirley Paley, chief legal officer – Paley oversees legal, regulatory, and corporate governance strategy. She brings extensive experience guiding high-growth tech companies through key milestones including M&A, venture financing, and commercial expansion. Prior to Muon, she served as CLO at Formlabs and General Counsel at Catalant Technologies. She also held senior legal roles at Demandware (acquired by Salesforce) and Sonus Networks. Paley began her legal career at Goodwin Procter LLP and clerked for the Hon. Sandra L. Lynch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Source: Muon Space
Keep up with your competitors by following notable executive moves across the IC contracting space — become a paid subscriber to IC News.
