Thomas Ayres
General Counsel
Starlab
Starlab Space is an US-led international joint-venture designing and building a commercial space station to replace the ISS. Starlab was granted the largest award to design a space station from NASA.
Previously, Tom served as the 20th General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force. In that role, while leading 2,600 attorneys, he also led an interdisciplinary team to draft, advocate for, and then implement the legislation creating the Space Force. Upon the birth of the U.S. Space Force, he simultaneously became the first General Counsel for the U.S. Space Force.
Most recently, Tom was the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Voyager Space. Prior to Voyager Space and his civilian service with the U.S. Air and Space Forces, Tom retired as an Army major general. He served multiple combat tours advising coalition and joint task force commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he was awarded the Bronze Star with two oak leaf clusters. A graduate of West Point and the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, he also has extensive litigation experience, and has experience serving on Boards of Directors.
Related Sessions
Space Law and Regulation Track
Monday, April 7, 2025
9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Track: Track Program