Shawn Hendricks, Chief Operating Officer

Table of contents

Orbit Fab, the leading provider of on-orbit refueling services, announced Shawn Hendricks as its first Chief Operating Officer on July 31, 2023. Hendricks will manage the firm’s new build and test capabilities to meet high satellite refueling demand from government and commercial markets.

Hendricks brings a wealth of experience and a strong educational foundation to his role. He is a Distinguished Graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering. He furthered his expertise as a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and earned both a Master’s degree and an Engineer’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

In his previous role as Senior Vice President of Operations at Terran Orbital, Hendricks was responsible for day-to-day operations of a $100M+ spacecraft factory, managing 160 employees across four departments producing up to 250 small satellites per year. His leadership drove significant growth and innovation:

Increased hardware deliveries by 64% in one year, with projected growth exceeding 100% in subsequent years.
Expanded workforce from 30 to over 160 technicians and engineers, establishing new departments in quality, manufacturing engineering, automation, and supply chain.
Boosted production capacity from 10 spacecraft per year to 250 satellites annually.
Developed capacity analysis that was crucial in securing contracts for over 350 spacecraft valued at more than $2.5B.

Prior to Terran Orbital, Hendricks served as Director of Programs at L3 Harris, reporting directly to the Company Vice President. As Business Area lead, he held P&L responsibilities across a portfolio of visible and infrared space telescope and laser communications systems. Key achievements in this role include:

Managing cost, quality, and on-time delivery of $100M+ multi-spectral sensors and laser communications terminals for commercial, NASA, DARPA, Intelligence Community, and DoD customers.
Leading 250+ cross-functional personnel, including direct supervision of 10 Program Managers across 12 multi-disciplinary teams.
Successfully capturing four separate development programs with a total revenue value exceeding $100M and additional options worth over $100M.
Conducting monthly program status briefings to Air Force leadership at the Three-Star General level.
Implementing process improvements in Risk Management, Supply Chain Management, and Program Life Cycle Management, resulting in reduced process variability and early warning of cost, schedule, and quality issues.

Hendricks’ career began with over two decades of distinguished service in the U.S. Navy. His roles included:

Navy Program Director managing the world’s largest enterprise network and developing next-gen networks for 800,000+ Navy personnel globally.
Deputy Program Director at the National Reconnaissance Office, leading spacecraft production for a $13 billion first-of-a-kind national imagery satellite.
Director for Integration, Test and Launch at the Navy’s SPAWAR Space Field Activity, overseeing reconnaissance satellite production with 600+ engineers and $4.5 billion in defense assets. He helped deliver two first-of-their-kind spacecraft for critical national security missions.
Aviator in the ES-3A Shadow where he conducted SIGINT and aerial refueling from the aircraft carrier USS INDEPENDENCE