Our Team
Meet the people who will change the nature of small satellite launch.
Dr. John W. Hunter
Chief Operating Officer, Chief Science Officer
Leading the Green Launch design and operational efforts is Dr. John W. Hunter. Dr. Hunter led the Super High Altitude Research Project (SHARP) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which created the world’s largest gas gun in 1992. Green Launch is building on the work conducted under Dr. Hunter’s direction for civilian applications.
EDUCATION/AWARDS
1977: B.S. in Physics at the University of California at San Diego
1984: Ph.D., in Theoretical Particle Physics at College of William and Mary
1979: Delos Award for high score on the Ph.D. qualifying exam
1992: Aviation Week’s Laurel award for the work on SHARP
1999: HASBRO Toy Fair Award for the Tornado
2001: Channel 10 Leadership award for Water Station
2012: Justice Cruz Reynoso Community Service Award for Water Station
SHARP (Super High Altitude Project) leader at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Directed design, construction and operation of the world’s largest hydrogen impulse launcher. Surpassed all electric launcher records for energy and velocity. Also launched a series of nine hypersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets) with SHARP at velocities up to Mach 9. Obtained the record for high Mach number engine operation in a free flying scramjet at Mach 8. The previous record was Mach 5.5.
John has lead or participated in diverse technology projects, including:
- Development of electromagnetic systems to detect deeply buried objects as well as magnetic field generators to defeat weapons.
- A medical project using ultrasound to both image and heat up cancer tissue (hyperthermia).
- Systems to defend helicopters from RPGs
- Solar energy production (ran Solar Bridge for Boeing, a project using 20/1 PV concentrators)
- X-Ray lithography and toys/sporting goods (Vortex Tornado, Zyclone, Moonshot).
- Armor projects in Iraq in 2004-2005. (DARPA armored trucks in LSA Anaconda, Taji and Baghdad).
Also founded several non-profits (Water Station, All American Canal Safety).
Green Launch Science Advisory Committee
Dave Kruczynski
Science Advisor
- BS Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
- President and Chief Mechanical Engineer, Blue Summit Technologies (Combustion Research, Hydrogen Combustion Weapons, Novel Laser Ignition Techniques, High Speed Actuators, System and Control Design)
- Principal investigator for a DARPA sponsored Phase II SBIR involving novel laser ignition techniques
- Designed unique airborne weapon system for a large commercial defense company
- Lead investigator on extreme velocity launcher program using hydrogen combustion
- Independent investigator for Army Research Laboratory doing R&D for high energy weapon systems
- Test Director at the Aberdeen Test Center evaluating potential US Army equipment
- Over 50 published scientific papers, reports, and journal articles as well as numerous internal proprietary and confidential reports and is the holder or co-holder of several patents.
Sannu Molder
Science Advisor
- BS Aeronautical Engineering, MS Aerophysics, M.Eng Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto
- RCAF Fighter Pilot
- PhD (Curved Aerodynamic Shock Waves), McGill University
- Chairman of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Director of Hypersonic Propulsion Lab, McGill University
- Project Director of the Gun-Launched Scramjet Program (1965-72)
- Chairman of the Industrial, Mechanical and Aerospace Departments, Ryerson Polytechnic University
- Directed joint Ryerson-UofToronto program on Studies of Scramjet Inlets
- Lecturer at Von Karman Institute for Fluid Mechanics (2011)
- Consultant to NASA and the USAF
- Emeritus Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute
- Authored and co-authored 75+ papers on hypersonic airbreathing propulsion and shock waves
Adam Bruckner
Science Advisor
- BS Mechanical Engineering, McGill University
- PhD Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University
- Department Chair, University of Washington, Aerospace and Energetics Research Program of the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics (1998-2010)
- Research has encompassed hypervelocity accelerators, planetary in situ resource utilization, space propulsion, space power systems, energy conversion, and laser applications in biology and medicine
- Has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including, among others, space systems design, heat transfer, rocket propulsion, and laboratory technique
- Has six U.S. patents in the areas of ram accelerators, launch vehicles, and heat exchangers
Kurt Moore
Science Advisor
- BS Physics, Univ of Kansas
- MS and PhD in Geophysics and Space Physics, UCLA
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Laser fusion (Technical Staff Member, target fab), Earth and Space Science Division (TSM, Principal Investigator, Project Leader) 1981-2004
- Lab experiments, field experiments, space experiments, radars, lidars, vacuum coating, data acquisition and control, digital/analog electronics (esp. low noise and low power), plasma/energetic charged particle/neutron/gamma ray/magnetometer instruments/data analyses, digital signal processing, neuromorphic software and hardware, helped initiate “nanosat” field
Green Launch Operations Team
Don Whitney
Chairman of the Board
As founder and Chairman of the Board, Don brings his experience as an Air Force pilot, Environmental Consultant, and Professional Engineer to the team. Don’s contacts and experience navagating regulatory frameworks are essential to Green Launch’s operational plan.
Eric Robinson
President
Rob Fryer
Public Relations