The CREW
The kids who went to sleep at night staring at fluorescent constellations on their ceilings may finally see their dreams as reality . The space dreamers , the ones fascinated by rockets , moon landings , and proposed visits to Mars , will recognize these dreams in their lifetimes as adults . Count in the founders of Space Northwest , Kelly Maloney , Sean McClinton , Michael Doyle , and James Burk , who make up the board of directors . All four have laser-focused business strategies that will be a reality in the short term — a cosmic mind-meld for the space industry . Come explore with us the vision of Space Northwest , who it will impact , and the results they aim to achieve .
Some have had a vision of space in their reality for many years . James Burk , Space Northwest director , is also the current executive director for the Mars Society , a national member-based organization advocating for human Mars exploration and settlement ( www . marssociety . org ). The organization began in 1998 , and Burk started as a founding member . In 2021 , he became the first full-time executive director , after a long career with Microsoft .
“ As someone who has been trying to get people excited about space and Mars my whole life , we are getting closer as the years go on ,” Burk said . Interestingly , he commented , the book and movie “ The Martian ” helped move things along in popular culture . The Mars Society operates a research station in Utah . It sponsors high school engineering competitions , and they work in Utah and the Arctic to replicate an early Martian settlement , including how to live and work on Mars .
Michael Doyle and Sean McClinton , both board directors , have also been moving along both commercial and academic space-related engagement in the Seattle area . Doyle has a background in finance technology and has been interested in volunteering for the space industry for years . He said his interest in space studies runs deep , “ I was born this way ; I went to college to pursue physics and had Carl Sagan as a professor .” He thought at one point of going into science-related broadcasting but then had a career with Goldman Sachs , an American financial institution .
24 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
Sean McClinton , director
Kelly Maloney , director
Michael Doyle , president & board chairman
James Burk , director