Phantom Space Appoints Chris Crosby of Compass Datacenters to Board of Directors

Veteran operator brings deep expertise in scaling infrastructure platforms, leading culture-driven teams, and raising institutional capital

TUCSON, AZ, UNITED STATES, July 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Phantom Space Corporation, a full-stack space transportation and infrastructure company, today announced the appointment of Chris Crosby, CEO and Founder of Compass Datacenters, to its Board of Directors. A seasoned operator and capital strategist, Crosby brings a decades-long track record in building and financing high-growth infrastructure companies, anchored by operational excellence, disciplined capital deployment, and an enduring commitment to culture.

Crosby is best known for founding and scaling Compass Datacenters into one of the world’s premier providers of modular, mission-critical data center infrastructure. Since its launch in 2011, Compass has become a trusted partner to the largest cloud and hyperscale customers globally, thanks in large part to its manufacturing style approach to delivering large-scale, long-lived data center campuses. Under Crosby’s leadership, Compass has raised and deployed over $5 billion in debt and structured capital to fund its rapid expansion, making one of the nation’s fastest growing companies according to Inc. Magazine and the Financial Times. Through years of exponential growth, Compass has maintained strong unit economics and cultural cohesion across global teams. “Chris has done what few in infrastructure have, he’s built a platform at industrial scale without losing agility, fiscal discipline, or soul,” said Jim Cantrell, Co-founder and CEO of Phantom Space. “As Phantom scales into its next growth phase, expanding launch cadence, deploying orbital infrastructure, and securing long-term commercial and government contracts, Chris’s operational insights and capital expertise will be invaluable. He brings a rare blend of systems thinking and leadership rooted in values.”

Crosby’s experience includes leading global operations at Digital Realty Trust, where he managed billions in data center assets and helped transform the company into one of the largest REITs in the world. With a background in institutional capital structuring, enterprise sales, and technical operations, he understands how to scale complex physical systems while aligning culture, governance, and capital strategy. His leadership has earned him accolades across the technology and real estate sectors, and Compass has been repeatedly recognized for growth, innovation, and employee experience.

“I’ve spent my career building infrastructure that disappears into the background—quietly powering the digital world,” said Crosby. “What Phantom is building in orbit will be no different: foundational, resilient, and largely invisible, but essential to the future of communications, autonomy, and national security. The company has the right team, vision, and technical core. I’m honored to join the board and contribute what I can to support Phantom’s mission.”

Phantom’s multi-pronged model, combining mass-manufactured launch vehicles, modular satellite platforms, and the Phantom Cloud orbital data network, mirrors the vertically integrated, high-reliability systems that Crosby has championed throughout his career. His focus on culture and clarity has driven strong employee engagement and repeatable results at Compass, and he brings the same lens to Phantom’s leadership team and board.

Phantom has already secured a NASA task order worth up to $300 million, FAA approval for 100+ annual launches from both Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral, and a growing backlog of commercial contracts. The company’s Phantom Cloud platform—developed in partnership with cybersecurity innovator Secured2—aims to provide the secure, resilient orbital data infrastructure necessary to support sectors from Earth imaging to autonomous space robotics.

About Phantom Space Corporation
Founded by space industry pioneers Jim Cantrell, Michael D’Angelo, and Chris Thompson, Phantom Space Corporation is revolutionizing access to space through scalable launch systems, modular satellites, and orbital data infrastructure. Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, Phantom’s mission is to be the “Henry Ford of Space Transportation,” enabling broad commercial and governmental participation in the orbital economy.

Learn more at www.phantomspace.com

Jim Cantrell, CEO
Phantom Space Corporation
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