Michael A. Hamel (Lt. General U.S. Air Force Ret.)

Mr. Hamel serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development and is responsible for leading Orbital’s strategic initiatives in current space and missile markets and adjacent areas, assessing new technology and product development plans, and supporting company growth.  Prior to joining Orbital, Mr. Hamel was Commander of the Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and Air Force Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Space, where he managed research, development, acquisition and sustainment of the country’s primary portfolio of military space and missile programs, with an annual budget in excess of $10 billion.

Mr. Hamel’s Air Force career included a broad array of national security space development, operations and policy responsibilities.  He served as Commander of the 14th Air Force “Flying Tigers”, where he commanded all Air Force space and launch operations supporting Department of Defense commands and agencies, as well as civil and commercial space sectors.  Earlier, he served in senior staff positions at Headquarters U.S. Air Force and Air Force Space Command, where he led work defining user and program requirements, operations plans and policies, organization and management for military space forces and capabilities.  He also was Military Advisor to the Vice President on defense, arms control, non-proliferation, critical infrastructure, space and technology policies and issues.

Mr. Hamel holds a B.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a M.A. degree in Business Administration from California State University.  He is also a Graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the Program in National and International Security at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.  Mr. Hamel is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.