Nick Merski is chief operations officer at BlackSky, where he leads the engineering and product operations unit responsible for executing the company’s vision for its constellation, platform, and analytic product suite. Previously, Nick played a pivotal role in overseeing the strategy, development, launch, and operations of the company’s constellation program as its director.
Prior to joining BlackSky, Nick served in the U.S. Air Force as an officer and civil servant. He held multiple program management and system engineering leadership roles for the Air Force’s operational and advanced technology programs, including the Operationally Responsive Space-1 program and the Department of Defense Space Test Program Standard Interface Vehicle.
Nick holds a Master of Science Degree in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Nick also serves on the Board of Managers for LeoStella, a joint venture between BlackSky and Thales Alenia Space.