Massimiliano Ladovaz joins SpinLaunch as CEO. Photo: SpinLaunch

Longtime industry leader and former OneWeb CTO Massimiliano Ladovaz is joining SpinLaunch as CEO after the company recently announced plans to pursue a satellite broadband constellation. 

SpinLaunch announced the appointment on Tuesday and said Ladovaz will lead the company through its next stage of growth. The company’s tech stack includes kinetic launch systems that are in development, and plans for a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation called Meridian Space. 

In April, SpinLaunch tapped Kongsberg NanoAvionics to build 280 satellites for the initial constellation, with an in-orbit demonstration mission planned for 2026.

“SpinLaunch has built a fundamentally differentiated technology stack and assembled a highly capable team with a clear mission,” Ladovaz commented. “After deeply engaging with the technology and strategy, I’m convinced that this is the most compelling initiative in the industry today.”

Ladovaz was a key leader in the OneWeb team, where he led deployment of the constellation and was part of establishing the Airbus-OneWeb joint venture for manufacturing. He also served as chief operating officer of Eutelsat/OneWeb Group after Eutelsat acquired OneWeb, and has previous experience with SES and Inmarsat.