SpaceX Senior VP Jumps to Relativity Space Startup

One of the lesser known aspects of SpaceX’s rise to the top of the space industry is how the company has seeded other companies with experienced personnel.

Throughout its existence, SpaceX has had fairly high employee turnover. People work at Elon Musk’s company and move on for reasons ranging from being fired or laid off to getting burned out from long hours to becoming frustrated over relatively low pay to simply wanting to do something else.

So is the case with Zachary Dunn, who joined SpaceX as a SpaceX in 2006 and worked his way up to become Senior vice president of production and launch.

After almost 13 years at the company, Dunn has jumped to Relativity Space, a Los Angeles-based startup that is developing a 3D-printed small satellite launch vehicle.

Dunn will oversee production of Relativity Space’s Terran 1 launch vehicle as vice president of factory development. The company plans to establish a production line in a leased building at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Relativity Space is currently testing Terran 1’s rocket motor at Stennis. The company plans to conduct its first test launch in 2021.

Relatively Space co-founder Jordan Noone is also a SpaceX veteran. He worked at the company for 16 months.