James Mason leads the Space System division at Planet, which includes all aspects of developing, manufacturing, and operating Planet's fleet of imaging satellites and supporting ground station network.

He was a Planet founding employee and has held a number of different roles focused at building the teams and processes that bring agility and efficiency to Planet's space operations. Prior to Planet, he was a NASA/USRA researcher who worked on solving old problems in new ways, including on the PhoneSat missions, developing the LightForce debris remediation concept, and advancing novel optical communications concepts. He holds a Master in Space Studies from the International Space University, a BSc-Honours in astrophysics from the National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme, and a BSc in physics and applied mathematics from the University of Cape Town.