Veteran startup technology leader, Ian Kelly, and Google and Terra Bella (Planet) product and program manager, Paul Frey, join Solstar leadership team.

February 1. Solstar Space, the company making persistent space-based communications available, announced Ian Kelly as Director of Cyber Operations and Paul Frey as Director of Product Development. In their leadership roles, they will advance and support Solstar Space’s continued growth as the company rolls out its space-based communications products and services.

“I had the opportunity to serve as the lead Linux code developer on Solstar’s successful tests of Wi-Fi communications systems aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket in 2018. This experience not only convinced me of the importance of fulfilling Solstar’s mission, but also the important role security will play in this fast growing segment,” says Ian Kelly, Director of Cyber Operations.

“Having been the project manager on Solstar’s second spaceflight of its Wi-Fi Access Point (WAP) payload on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, I am thrilled to join the organization focusing on product development,” says Paul Frey, Director of Product Development, Solstar Space. “As the low earth orbit (LEO) segment becomes increasingly congested, and lunar initiatives come to fruition, persistent space-based communications will become essential for safe and sustainable operations. Solstar is redefining and modernizing the infrastructure that will fill the gap that exists today,” continues Frey.

Mr. Kelly brings over a decade of Windows and Linux network and server administration, DevOps and software development, and security and IT management experience from across the technology industry to Solstar.

Mr. Frey joins Solstar after over a decade of operations, program, and product management experience at Google, Terra Bella (Planet), and Ursa Space Systems.