Why Loft Orbital Hired This Former Airbus Manager

Julien Bouillant holds the position of Director of Assembly, Integration, and Test at Loft Orbital Solutions, where he manages spacecraft production for shared satellite missions. Julien Bouillant’s experience spans eighteen years in the aerospace sector, with significant leadership duties at Airbus Defence and Space.

His move to the Silicon Valley-based space infrastructure company demonstrates capability in planning and supervising satellite projects for commercial, scientific, and governmental clients.

Track Record at Airbus

Julien Bouillant’s academic background began at ISAE Supaero, where he focused on space vehicle design. He started at Airbus Defence and Space, contributing for eight years on ground control systems before transitioning to roles in satellite assembly and team supervision. As production manager at Airbus OneWeb Satellites, Julien Bouillant played a vital part in organising new assembly lines at Merritt Island, Florida, devoted to serial satellite manufacturing. The site raised capacity, enabling consistent delivery of satellites that met communications and research needs within shorter timeframes.

Colleagues reported Julien Bouillant managed teams working on different satellite types, from modular designs to heavy satellite platforms. He also helped develop specialised clean room facilities at the National Space Science and Technology Center in Abu Dhabi, supporting growth for local aerospace capabilities and aligning projects with recognised international standards.

Leadership and Process Improvement

Julien Bouillant’s steady record covers organising production processes at several locations, ranging from Florida to Kazakhstan and French Guiana. He skillfully coordinated satellite preparation with major launch providers, contributing strong management qualities and technical planning to teams across time zones and missions. His work has focused on quality control, project safety, and thorough documentation, qualities highly regarded within both Airbus and Loft Orbital Solutions.

Throughout his career, Julien Bouillant oversaw manufacturing sites and certification activities, gaining insight into production risk management and timely project delivery. His ability to coordinate multiple teams and preserve product reliability contributed to greater operational success at facilities in the United States and the Middle East. His style of direct supervision improved consistency and accountability on a daily basis.

Julien Bouillant’s method to managing clean room installations and enforcing schedule discipline supported engineering teams tasked with integration and testing of complex hardware units for orbital deployment.

Delivering Results for Loft Orbital

In January 2025, Julien Bouillant took over leadership of assembly, integration, and testing for Loft Orbital’s growing satellite infrastructure. His responsibilities feature managing workflow schedules, overseeing payload installations, and directing large production teams that support a range of customer requirements. Julien Bouillant’s practical knowledge from Airbus has helped Loft Orbital support a wider set of clients, offering satellite services with improved reliability and operational readiness.

Loft Orbital’s recent process improvements are based on maintaining pre-assembled hardware platforms and standardised configurations, ready for client payloads and mission deployment. This process helps reduce delivery lead times to a matter of weeks, offering satellite access to more organisations. Julien Bouillant’s transition from Airbus supports Loft Orbital as it adapts production to greater demand and changing project requirements.

The decision to appoint Julien Bouillant as Director reflects trust in his management strengths, active engagement, and technical background. His broad professional experience brings steady outcomes and strategic value across mission types and operational settings, with clear benefits for the satellite manufacturing sector.