John Bucknell is the CEO and Founder of Virtus Solis Technologies, a startup focused on deploying the first commercial space solar power platform. John graduated from Cleveland State University in 1995 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and from the University of Michigan in 1999 with a master’s in systems engineering and is a licensed professional engineer. He has led advanced engineering teams at Chrysler and General Motors for three award-winning engine families across eight production programs, was Senior Propulsion Engineer for the Raptor full-flow staged combustion methalox rocket at Space Exploration Technologies and the Director of Propulsion Engineering for Divergent Technologies developing mass-manufacturing additively manufactured technologies. Published technical work includes high efficiency/low operational cost internal combustion engines, economic carbon-neutral synthetic fuel processes and high performance air-breathing nuclear rockets as well as 49 US patents.