Richardson names director of space office

kobtv.com: Governor Richardson has named Richard Kestner as the new director of the state Office of Space Commercialization.

Kestner will replace Peter Mitchell, who led the state’s effort to lure the X-Prize Cup to New Mexico. That competition is aimed at getting private rocket planes into space at lease twice in a 14-day span.

Mitchell resigned this week to take a job in Texas. Kestner will take over at the beginning of February.

Kestner is currently the space marketing director for White Sands Missile Range. He has worked at the missile range for 20 years in a variety of capacities.

Kestner says his life’s dream is to assist in creating a viable commercial space exploration industry.