Sid Gutierrez earned a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy – Distinguished Graduate – and an MA in Management from Webster University. He is a graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School and has completed a number of executive management courses at UCLA, MIT and Stanford.  In the Air Force he flew the F-15, F-16, T-38 and many other aircraft while serving as a fighter pilot, test pilot, and instructor pilot.  Sid joined NASA as an astronaut in the mid-80’s and in the early ‘90’s he served as the Pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences – SLS-1, a dedicated space and life sciences mission), and Mission Commander of Space Shuttle Endeavor (STS-59 Space Radar Laboratory  – SRL-1, part of Mission to Planet Earth). Both missions were recognized with the Aviation Week & Space Technology Laureate Award for outstanding achievement in the field of space.

Sid retired from the Air Force and NASA in ’94 and joined Sandia National Laboratories, where he served in various senior leadership positions.  As a Center Director he was responsible for programs introducing disruptive ideas and technologies into satellites, space payloads and sensors and vulnerability assessments and analysis tools.  He was responsible for a very successful half a billion dollar national security satellite system.  He led innovations in national programs including support to the nuclear fuel cycle and international efforts to reduce the threat of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Recognizing the potential of Rocket Crafters’ innovative technologies and ideas, in ’12 Sid joined RCI as a member of the Board of Directors. Committed to changing the way we access space, in February ’15 he retired from Sandia to become the CEO of Rocket Crafters and Chairman of the Board. He is responsible for working with the RCI Team to establish and implement the goals and objectives of the company.  In addition to serving on the Board of RCI, Sid serves, or has served, on the boards of other for-profit corporations and a number of not-for- profit organizations, a state technical university, NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel and a Presidential Commission.

Rob Fabian earned a BS in Space Operations from the United States Air Force Academy, beginning a distinguished 25-year military career in both space operations and ballistic missile maintenance.

Rob worked extensively with the Air Force’s ICBM fleets, leading field repair and sustainment efforts on both the Minuteman III and Peacekeeper missiles as well as coordinating operations between the ICBM repair depot, acquisition program office, and the supporting logistics supply chain.  As a space operations officer, his responsibilities spanned the gamut from day-to-day satellite tracking to planning and policy work at the highest levels of the government, including developing a 20-year roadmap for future space control system acquisitions and coordinating military and civil space policy issues across multiple Federal agencies.

In addition to his technical degree and extensive space and rocketry experience, Rob earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College – Summa Cum Laude.  His work has been published in the Proceedings of the Naval Institute and Astropolitics: The International Journal of Space Politics & Policy and he spent a year as an Air Force Fellow at RAND.

After retiring from the Air Force in ’13 Rob joined Rocket Crafters’ Advisory Board as a subject matter expert in rocket motors, military acquisitions, and military space operations.  At the same time he began working with BAE Systems providing acquisition and program management assistance and advice to the Minuteman III ICBM program office, further deepening his insight into government acquisitions.

In March ’14 the company appointed Rob as Senior Vice President – Propulsion.  Later that year he was appointed to the Board of Directors.  He currently oversees all planning and program management associated with the company’s rocket engine development program. As the company transitions from a research focus to production, he will take on full divisional responsibilities for rocket engine production and launch vehicle integration.

Rob brings a proven track record managing the personnel, constrained budgets, and highly complex processes will be crucial in bringing RCI’s innovative new rocket motors to market on-time and on-budget.  His in-depth space operations and policy experience within the Department of Defense and across other Federal agencies will be of great help as the company continues to grow and expand its customer base.

Grant Begley is an aerospace leader in the highly specialized fields of manned systems, unmanned systems, and robotic systems. As an aerospace executive and consultant, his work results in the enablement of next generation capabilities.  Begley is an accomplished initiator, developer, implementer and advisor of strategic planning, business development, resource obtainment, executive program management and technology insertion.

Grant, who has active security clearances, has enabled compelling new aerospace capabilities, future products and successes contributing to defense, national security and commercial applications for the federal government, Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, state governments, defense industry and the global private sectors.

Grant has successfully led the development of National Space Programs, from concept, to achieving compelling operational capabilities.

As a Certified Acquisition Executive, Grant advises global executive clients on competitive positioning, performance, and resolution of complex challenges leading to dramatic improvements.

Grant contributed to the development of the “Roadmap for U. S. Robotics 2013”, a White House initiative, as opening speaker and Team Leader. He served as Pentagon Senior Advisor – for Unmanned Systems, to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense.

In ’14 Grant became an Advisory Board Member for RCI.  He has been a member of the Executive Board since late ’15.

Sean Mirsky is an expert in Macro Economic Event and Algorithmic Trading infrastructure.

He is the founder and CEO of the ZNES Group, which uses its resources to invest in forward looking “development stage” opportunities that typically have their roots in space commerce, yet have some meaningful connection to trading.

Prior to that, Sean developed and co-led the global microwave network efforts of Jump Trading as Director and Chief Architect, achieving superiority in speed between US and European Trading locations.  He also served as an embedded infrastructure specialist to key trading teams at Infinium Capital Management and Goldman Sachs.

On the Board of Directors of Rocket Crafters Inc., Sean is currently involved with commercializing patented 3D-Printed Rocket fuel and other breakthrough technologies for delivering Small Satellite (“SmallSat”) payloads to the precise orbit specified by each client.

Sean initially joined RCI’s Advisory Board, and in May ’16 was elected as a Board Member.