James D. Royston

Astrotech appointed Mr. Royston to the position of president in July of 2007. He is responsible for advancing the company's global space commerce initiatives.

Mr. Royston joined Astrotech in 2000 and most recently served as senior vice president and general manager of Astrotech Space Operations. In this capacity, Mr. Royston oversaw spacecraft processing and support services for civil, military, and commercial customers for Astrotech.

With over 15 years experience, he has exceptional technological know-how and aerospace expertise. A former RWD Technologies Inc, employee (NASDAQ -RWDT), Mr. Royston served as the company's e-Learning Director, where he managed company operations, strategic planning and growth strategies. Prior to RWD, Mr. Royston held the position of Senior vice president of Merrimac Interactive Media, Inc., a distance learning company that founded CertificationNet and provided online courseware and certification to several Fortune 500 companies.

Additionally, Mr. Royston functioned as the Director of the Information Management Project Office for United Space Alliance at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC). His aerospace experience also includes acting as the Kennedy Space Center Operations Director for Orbital Sciences Corporation, in charge of all contract and business development activities, as well as managing the information systems for NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Program. He also served as a program manager at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Royston has owned and operated two companies involving systems engineering and software development. He holds seven U.S. technology and software patents, and his papers have been published in multiple technical publications. Among other accolades, Mr. Royston was the recipient of NASA's prestigious HQ Innovation award.

Mr. Royston earned his B.S. in electrical engineering and mathematics from Alfred University in Alfred, New York.