John “JB” Brunschwyler is a space-systems consultant with three decades of experience spanning flight safety, launch vehicles, and satellite constellations. He holds an M.A. in Applied Mathematics and began his career developing spacecraft-availability models for the U.S. Department of Defense, supporting early analyses of on-orbit resiliency and mission assurance for government space assets. Over his career he has led complex technical teams, including a 60-person organization that delivered 34 low-Earth-orbit communications satellites from design through launch operations. Mr. Brunschwyler’s recent work focuses on regulatory strategy, autonomous safety systems, and investment-grade technical assessments in the commercial space sector. He has advised foreign civil governments on autonomous flight-termination systems and FAA launch-licensing approaches, and he conducts technical due diligence for private-equity firms evaluating launch and satellite infrastructure investments. His consulting engagements emphasize system reliability, regulatory compliance, and the practical readiness of commercial space programs for operational deployment.
Mr.Brunschwyler joined Orbital Sciences in 1992 and has served in multiple key positions. His first major hands-on position was the lead vehicle engineer for the 8th Pegasus mission launching the first of the Orbcomm spacecraft. This gave Mr. Brunschwyler the thirst to become more involved in the design and development of cutting edge space systems. He served as the Orbcomm spacecraft systems integration and test lead, culminating in the successful launch of 35 Orbcomm low-Earth orbit (LEO) communications satellites aboard the company’s Taurus and Pegasus launch vehicles. He later served as Program Director for the Taurus Launch Vehicle culminating in a successful launch for Planet Labs in 2017. Between Taurus missions, he also served as deputy program manager on the DARPA MiTEx spacecraft program that launched successfully in 2006.
Mr. Brunschwyler holds a M.A. in Mathematics from The George Washington University.
