RESTON, VA, (October 19, 2023) - SCOUT Space Inc., a leading in-space observation data provider dedicated to enabling a new era of space safety and transparency, today announced Mr. Philip Hover-Smoot, an experienced aerospace and defense industry legal executive, has joined the SCOUT team as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Hover-Smoot will be responsible for leading the company’s risk management, governance and commercial matters.
The announcement was made by SCOUT’s Co-founder & CEO, Eric Ingram, stating that “Welcoming Philip to the SCOUT family has been a privilege. The aerospace and defense industries are highly scrutinized sectors and require sophisticated and comprehensive legal counsel - and Philip’s in-depth knowledge and experience in these fields will support SCOUT’s continued growth, success, and development in this complex environment. We look forward to benefiting from his leadership as we continue to scale our operations and execute on our plan of securing safety in space operations. SCOUT is thrilled to have Philip on board.”
“I am excited to join the SCOUT family during this pivotal time of unprecedented growth in the space and satellite sectors - and to help position SCOUT as a leading in space data provider,” added Mr. Hover-Smoot. “I look forward to leveraging my experience as we expand our presence and capabilities to serve our commercial, government, and defense customers.”
Previously, Mr. Hover-Smoot served as the General Counsel at Spaceflight Inc., a group company of Mitsui & Co. Ltd, best known for pioneering orbital transfer vehicles and smallsat rideshare missions. Prior to that, he held the role of Deputy General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS), an in-space services provider. Mr. Hover-Smoot also held a series of roles at Raytheon Technologies, primarily in the Office of General Counsel at Raytheon Technologies’ Intelligence & Space business, where he held key advisory roles in compliance and contracting with a focus on remote sensing and electronic warfare systems. Earlier in his legal career, he specialized in the implementation of technology security and foreign disclosure controls and counseled both aerospace and technology organizations. Currently, he is as well providing pro bono as the General Counsel of the Moffett Field Museum at NASA’s Ames Research Center.
Mr. Hover-Smoot holds a JD/MBA from Drake University and has completed postdoctoral work at Stanford’s Spogli Institute for International Studies, with an emphasis on national security and intelligence, in addition to the University of London, where he studied global transportation law.
About SCOUT Space:
SCOUT Space was founded in 2019 with the mission to enable a new era of space safety and transparency. SCOUT’s in-space products and services, first launched in June 2021, allow spacecraft to see and understand things around them. The orbital distributed sensor network developed by SCOUT will significantly improve Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and ensure responsible use of the space environment. The company is a Techstars, MassChallenge, and venture-backed startup with ongoing government and commercial contracts. SCOUT holds the Established® 2021 Startup of the Year® title. For more information, visit www.scout.space.
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