[SatNews] His new duties will find him working with customers in the space control and special mission arenas...

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has announced that Steve Smith has joined the company’s Washington Operations office as Director of Space Control and Special Missions. In his new role, Smith will solidify customer engagement in the space control and special mission communities and assist Ball’s National Defense business unit with strategic opportunities. Smith joined Ball Aerospace following 24 years in the United States Air Force. In his most recent position as Commander of the Advanced Capabilities Group at the Space and Missiles Systems Center he led more than 30 officers in developing classified space superiority space systems. He previously served as the Director of the National Reconnaissance Office Ground Systems Engineering, where he supervised 35 multi-agency personnel and 200 contractors. Smith held additional positions as Commander of the 2nd Space Warning Squadron, Director of Operations for the 4th Space Operations Squadron, and Chief of National Space Systems Integration Branch at U.S. Space Command. Smith retired from the U.S. Air Force with the rank of Colonel, earlier having earned a B.S. in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.; and a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.