SVP of SpaceX has reportedly resigned: find out more

SpaceX is in focus this morning following a report that one of its senior executives has decided to leave the rockets and spacecraft company.

Tom Ochinero is leaving SpaceX

Anonymous sources told CNBC today that Tom Ochinero – the senior vice president (SVP) of the firm’s commercial business resigned on Monday.

The news is significant since it’s not all that common for a high-level executive to announce departure from SpaceX. In fact, Ochinero has been with the California-based company for more than ten years.

He first joined the space firm that billionaire Elon Musk founded in 2002 as an engineer and helped design the nosecone for its Falcon 9.

SpaceX is yet to officially comment on the CNBC report on Wednesday.

Why is Ochinero leaving SpaceX?

Ochinero decided in favour of leaving SpaceX to attend to a family medical matter, as per people that talked to CNBC this morning on condition of anonymity.

A biography last year claimed the senior vice president was “personally responsible for over a billion dollars of annual revenue” at the space company.

The news of his departure arrives at a time when SpaceX has eyes on expanding its satellite internet business (Starlink) and the 3^rd test flight of its next-gen Starship launch vehicle.

In November, billionaire investor Ron Baron said SpaceX’s Starlink will likely go public somewhere around 2027. The spacecraft company was recently valued at about $175 billion in the private market.