Ball Aerospace’s Rob Strain Joins Defense Innovation Board's Space Advisory Committee

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Ball Aerospace President Rob Strain has been selected to serve as a subcommittee member on the Defense Innovation Board (DIB) Space Advisory Committee (SAC). As a member of the SAC, Strain will draw on more than 30 years of experience in the aerospace industry to provide his unique perspective and expertise to the DIB for Department of Defense leaders on how to best leverage innovation to address current and future challenges and opportunities in space.

"Rob is extremely committed to the aerospace industry and has a long track record of leadership in both the public and private sectors," said John A. Hayes, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Ball Corporation. "His diverse experience and perspective have led to tangible and impactful results, and he will be a great asset to the DIB advisory committee."

Prior to joining Ball in 2012, Strain served as center director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, overseeing the success of more than 13 missions, including the final Shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope and the successful restructure of the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb).

Before NASA, Strain was the head of the Space Department at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland, where he was integral to the successful development, launch and operations of the New Horizons Spacecraft to Pluto. While at APL, he was also responsible for the National Security business area which made many significant contributions to the Department of Defense and other U.S. agencies.

"This advisory panel will be critical in shaping the nation's path forward in space exploration, technology development and strategy at a time when the space domain is evolving quickly and in unforeseen ways," said Strain. "I am honored and humbled to play even a small role in determining how our country will address the many complex challenges in this increasingly dynamic environment."