Rick Harrison, president of Noblis ESI, has been named co-chair of WashingtonExec’s Space Council for 2024-2025.
A retired U.S. naval officer, Harrison brings extensive experience in leading organizations and crafting innovative solutions to complex national security challenges across Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems.
As co-chair of the council, Harrison will guide discussions on critical topics such as onboard processing, quantum sensors and advancements in communication technologies. In the interview below, he shares insights into his experience in the space sector, what this role as co-chair means to him and the importance of fostering connections between industry executives and government officials.
What does it mean for you to be co-chair of the Space Council?
I am honored to serve as the co-chairperson of the Space Council. Each of the members is highly regarded and an esteemed expert in their field. I look forward to collaborating with and learning from each of them and the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise.
Based on your extensive experience, what are some of the focus areas/hot topics you want to discuss with the council this year?
There are three near-term topics I would like to discuss with the council, including onboard processing, quantum sensors and advances in communication technologies. From my perspective, each of these is critical in advancing our overall space mission. In addition, I look forward to hearing the council members’ perspectives on priorities and fully expect our discussion topics to evolve with the pace of the industry and technology.
How will your personal and career experience and expertise within the space community help lead the council in discussions on trending space-related topics?
The space community is complex and intertwined. As a result, we must implement a holistic approach to innovate across federal, civilian and military domains and ultimately strengthen our dominance in this arena. Over the course of my career, I have held multiple roles within the community ranging from NASA to the Intelligence Community to the Department of Defense where I had the opportunity to learn a great deal. Bringing this diverse experience, along with Noblis’ spirit of innovating beyond boundaries, will help inspire this holistic approach as I help to lead thoughtful discussions on salient issues and proactively address the next challenges within the space sector.
Do you feel there is great value in connecting industry executives with government officials to discuss topics facing the space community? If so, why?
Yes, there is tremendous value in connecting industry executives with government officials. I view these connections as critical partnerships that open doors for better understanding national priorities, challenges, budgets and requirements in this arena and collaborating on breakthrough research and technologies that will help advance our collective mission. The industry is at an inflection point for integrating advanced technologies into space missions and collaboration between government and industry could help us make significant progress in this area.
Do you have any plans yet for the council?
I have three near-term priorities for the council. The first is connecting and collaborating with our chairman, Ron Birk, on our agenda and goals. Ron is an extraordinary chairperson and I’m looking forward to working with him in this capacity. Second, I’d like to introduce the hot topics noted in my earlier response and gather the council’s ideas on focus areas. Third, I’d like to collaborate with council colleagues to further develop a framework that incorporates our priorities and will guide us in addressing the industry as whole.
What do you hope to accomplish as co-chair of this council, and what do you hope council members get out of your leadership?
My goal as co-chair of the Space Council is to get to know each of the members and facilitate strong working relationships among members and our government partners that help advance our collective vision and overall national space priorities. In doing so, my hope is that all parties will benefit from and value the time we invest — and more importantly, the outcomes we achieve together.