Los Angeles-based Proteus Space announced on August 11, 2026, that retired U.S. Air Force Major General Kimberly “Kim” Crider had joined its board of directors. Crider had served on the company’s advisory board since 2023, making her transition to the board of directors an extension of a relationship that began during an early stage of the company’s growth.
Crider has more than 35 years of experience managing space, cybersecurity, data, and technology programs, including multiple multibillion-dollar programs. She was the first official to serve as the U.S. Space Force’s chief technology and innovation officer, and she was also the first chief data officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Experience Linked to Digital Transformation and Space
During her service in the Space Force, Crider oversaw a $2.5 billion science and technology portfolio and managed a $750 million digital services and cybersecurity portfolio. She also led efforts to establish the Space Force as a “born-digital” organization, according to the description in the announcement.
In her Air Force role, she developed the enterprise data strategy that guided service-wide data initiatives. This was the first time a chief data officer position had been established in the U.S. Department of Defense. Crider is also a founding partner of the space consulting firm Elara Nova.
David Kervin, founder and chief executive officer of Proteus Space, said Crider’s advisory expertise had accompanied the company since its early days and that her appointment reflected the stage the company had reached as it expanded toward new customers and missions. Crider, for her part, said the company had developed an automated digital engineering capability that can design mission-optimized spacecraft at a faster pace.
What Is Changing in Practice?
Proteus is developing an independent, AI-powered digital engineering platform called the Proteus autonomous digital engineering platform. Instead of designing a mission around a standard spacecraft bus, the company says the platform builds the vehicle around the payload and specific mission requirements, reducing the stated design-customization period from months to days. The platform includes the production of detailed, manufacturing-ready designs and digital twins of vehicles.
The appointment of a figure with experience in data, digital transformation, and government space programs indicates that the board will include direct expertise in the areas targeted by the platform, particularly as the company moves from technology development to expanding its customer and mission base. The announcement provides no details about Crider’s new authorities or about specific operational changes within the company.
Commercial and Defense Context
The appointment comes as Proteus continues developing its platform, which it described as being in the process of obtaining a patent. In December 2025, the company was named a major awardee under the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity agreement. According to the article, the agreement is connected to the broader “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative.
The company also said it had provided paid services to entities including DoW, NASA, USSF, and IC, as well as major prime contractors. Its announced services include vehicle design from the preliminary concept stage through preliminary and critical design reviews, followed by assembly, integration, and testing; licensing and launch arrangements; and support for launch integration, early on-orbit operations, and subsequent operations from its own facilities.