The Rocketplane^® Leadership

George French
President/CEO
George French is a successful business man, entrepreneur, and investor and has been a consummate supporter of the commercialization of space. Mr. French also founded Space Explorers, Inc, a space education company in Wisconsin, where he also owns and operates several other businesses. Mr. French is the visionary that orchestrated the creation of Rocketplane Global and, its board of directors, and brought together several of the key personnel that founded the company and are still with Rocketplane Global today.

David M. Urie
Executive Vice President
Prior to joining the Rocketplane Global, Inc. team, Mr. Urie served as president of Concept Fusion, Inc., providing technical development services to established companies and start-up organizations. During his 30-year career with the Lockheed Martin Corporation, Mr. Urie led teams on such projects as Lockheed’s X-30 National Aerospace Plane and the HL-20 Personnel Launch System. He was chief engineer and then program manager of the SR-71 reconnaissance system before initiating and heading the Single Stage to Orbit and X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle Programs. Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Urie has received numerous honors and awards, plus prepared, taught and delivered several short courses and lectures.

Robert I. Seto
Vice President / Engineering Systems & Analysis
Robert Seto joined Rocketplane from Bombardier Aerospace where he directed product strategy and development for business aircraft. As program director for development aircraft, he initiated development of the Learjet 40, followed by an appointment to direct the Challenger 300. Mr. Seto served as Engineering Director for Bombardier’s Defense Systems Division and the Learjet product lines. He has led multi-site, international engineering teams through design, development, and flight test. Mr. Seto brings senior management experience covering engineering, program management, production, and field support.

John B. Herrington, Commander (USN Ret.)
Vice President / Director of Flight Operations
An Oklahoma native, John B. Herrington is a retired Naval Aviator and test pilot with 22 years of service in the US Navy. He joined Rocketplane following an assignment as an astronaut with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, stationed at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Herrington was born in Wetumka, Oklahoma and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Herrington was the Mission Specialist on the Space Shuttle STS-113 Endeavour that flew to the International Space Station on November 23 to December 7, 2002. He is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. Commander Herrington received numerous special honors during his years of service in the Navy and has logged over 4,000 flight hours in over 30 different types of aircraft. He has experienced 330 hours in space, including 3 EVAs totaling 19 hours and 55 minutes. Herrington will also serve as Chief Test Pilot of the XP Spaceplane.

David G. Faulkner
XP Program Manager
A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, David joined Rocketplane after working with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics since 1998. His last post with Lockheed Martin was as Lead Configurator on the DARPA FALCON hypersonic program where he co-developed a unique vehicle configuration which was instrumental in winning the sole $100+ Million Phase II award. With experience as a conceptual designer on DARPA’s Quiet Supersonic Platform and Navy’s RATTLRS programs, and as a flight test engineer on the F-22 and F-16 programs, David brings a wealth of applicable knowledge and skill to the company. Mr. Faulkner holds a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering.

Major General (USAF Ret.) Jay T. Edwards
Government/Regulatory Liaison
An Oklahoman by choice for the last 25 years, General Edwards is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds a Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from George Washington University. He spent 28 years in the Air Force, retiring as the Commanding General of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB. General Edwards was the first Executive Director of the Oklahoma Space Industrial Development Authority and currently is providing technical assistance in governmental relations, regulatory affairs, and licensing issues. He was recently named to the Board of Directors of Cherokee Nation Industries, a business partner of Rocketplane.

Charles "Chuck" J. Lauer
Director of Business Development
Chuck Lauer has spent 15 years researching business opportunities in space and was a contributor to the landmark 1993 NASA / aerospace industry Commercial Space Transportation Study. He has published numerous articles and technical papers on commercial space development. Mr. Lauer has been a consultant to Boeing and NASA on commercial space station development, a participant in the NASA New Space Industries Workshops, a member of the NASA / KPMG Commercial Space Ventures Advisory Team and Board of Directors of the Space Transportation Association’s Space Travel & Tourism Division. He is an Advocate and member of the Board of Advisors of the Space Frontier Foundation, and an Advisor to Space Adventures, Ltd.