Jack Kulpa, President and CEO

Jack Kulpa has been the President and CEO of Scorpius Space Launch Company since its inception in1999. He has over thirty-five years experience in the Space business having been the Mission Director for the launch of 50 major US satellites and the Program Director of several space programs with satellites ranging from a few hundred pounds to over ten tons. He is a retired Air Force Major General having spent most of his military career in Air Force and NRO space activities.

He has been on the Board of Directors of several corporations, a Trustee of ERIM and Chairman of the Board of ERIM, and a Los Angeles County Commissioner. He was founder and President of AstroTech, headed the C3I activities for McDonnell Douglas, and was Senior Vice President and Group Leader of Eaton Corporation Government Information Systems Group. He played a key role in start-up and growth of Spectrum Astro

His activities in space systems development, satellite mission operations and launch operations have been recognized with numerous awards and honors including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Air Force Distinguished Service Medal; CIA National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal; NASA Exceptional Service Medal; the National Geographic Thomas D. White Space Trophy; and the Air Force Association Schriever Space and Missile Award. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Voice: 310.219.2700  Fax: 310.219.2710, Email: jkulpa@scorpius.com
   
Dr. James Wertz, Chairman of the Board of Directors

Dr. Wertz is the Chairman of the board of Directors of Scorpius Space Launch Company. He is the principal architect of the Scorpius SLC & Microcosm relationship and the inventor of the LOW COST ACCESS TO SPACE paradigm. As an internationally recognized authority on space mission engineering, he is also providing his expertise for our customer’s innovative space mission design needs.

As President of our parent company, Microcosm Inc, Dr. Wertz has technical and management responsibility for work in Microcosm’s main business areas: satellite orbit and attitude control systems, space mission engineering, low cost space launch systems, autonomous navigation and orbit control, space sensor design, and space software development. His experience includes virtually all mission phases: concept exploration, hardware design and development (both at spacecraft and component levels), spacecraft integration and test, launch support, and mission operations. He is the editor and principal author of:

  • Spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control (D. Reidel, 1978, 858 pg.), the standard reference work in this field now in its 14th printing.

  • Space Mission Analysis and Design (Kluwer Academic, 1st edition, 1990, 2nd edition, 1992, 3rd Edition, 1999.), the most widely used astronautics text and reference in print.

  • Reducing Space Mission Cost (Kluwer Academic and Microcosm, 1996, 617 pg.), recent volume aimed at changing the way we do business in space.

  • Mission Geometry; Orbit and Constellation Design and Management (Kluwer Academic, 2001, 934 pg.), first of a 3-volume series intended as the new standard reference in Spacecraft Orbit and Attitude Systems.

He is also managing editor of the Space Technology Library (since 1985).

Dr. Wertz holds multiple patents in orbit and attitude systems. He has taught courses worldwide in “Space Mission Analysis and Design,” “Orbit and Attitude Systems,” “Reducing Space Mission Cost,” and “Constellation Design, Management and Economics.” His teaching has spanned providing professional systems and mission engineering training at JPL, JSC, GSFC, LaRC, ESA, ESTEC, CNES, CSA, AFRL, SMC, and at numerous corporate venues in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Dr. Wertz is an Adjunct Professor of Astronautics at USC, a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, and a Fellow of both the British Interplanetary Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Dr. Wertz has a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin, an S.B. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a M.S. in S&T Adm. from George Washington University.

Voice: 310.219.2700  Fax: 310.219.2710, Email: jwertz@scorpius.com
   
David Nelson, Chief Financial Officer

David Nelson has been Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary for Scorpius Space Launch Company since 2004.  He is responsible for all accounting activity, budgeting, finance, administration, shareholder relations, banking, strategic planning and cash management.  He serves as a member of SSLC’s board of directors.

During the Scorpius SLC period, he has also served as interim CFO for an oil and gas production company and an engineering-manufacturing company.  These assignments involved finance, budgeting, and structuring accounting, reporting and internal control systems.

 From 1984 to 2004, he served as CFO for three public companies.  These were in the automotive, aerospace and engineering industries.  Prior to this, he served as corporate treasures and division CFO for Aerojet General Corporation; following an assignment as Vice President of commercial credit with a major California Bank.  He has performed public offerings, private placements, institutional investments, bank lines of credit, tender offers, mergers and acquisitions.

Mr. Nelson received a B.A. and M.A. degrees from UCLA.

Voice: 310.219.2700  Fax: 310.219.2710, Email: dnelson@scorpius.com
   
Markus Rufer, Executive Vice President, COO

Markus Rufer is responsible for the operations of Scorpius SLC. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Rufer built and managed worldwide manufacturing operations for large multinational corporations, as well as start-up companies in the US, Europe and the Middle East. He has directed product development programs from concept to market, and has managed marketing sales and new product launch campaigns as well as nationwide product support and field service operations.

Mr. Rufer brings an industrial manufacturing approach to the company that constitutes one of the main ingredients of the superior cost profile of the Scorpius family of Space Launch Vehicles.

His international experience spans across a variety of industries. He was the Vice President Manufacturing of Aura Systems Inc., a Technology Leader in Mobile Power Generation Systems, where he set up and managed a generator production facility that received ISO 9001 certification. His prior position was Director of Operations at BAT International Inc., a Zero Emissions Vehicle manufacturer in Burbank, CA, where he was managing all aspects related to vehicle production. In his tenure as Vice President Manufacturing at Vector Aeromotive Corporation, he built and managed the production environment for three high performance car manufacturing plants in Wilmington, CA. Earlier, Mr. Rufer directed a $600 million/year anti-aircraft systems overhaul and upgrading program in the Middle East for Oerlikon Buehrle LTD, a billion dollar multi-national Swiss Corporation. Mr. Rufer received MS degrees in Engineering and in Business Management.

Voice: 310.219.2700  Fax: 310.219.2710, Email: mrufer@scorpius.com
   
Dr. Robert Conger, Member of the Board of Directors

Dr. Conger is the program manager for the development of the Scorpius vehicles and Executive Vice President of Microcosm, Inc. As a director of Scorpius SLC, Dr. Conger is heavily involved in the requirement analysis and support efforts in space systems for access to, activities in and performance of systems in space. Dr. Conger has participated in and led numerous studies in cost effective missions incorporating space as well as ground assets. Under his direction, a new generation of significantly lower cost launch vehicles were created, which have an impact on virtually all-new DoD and civil missions, as well as commercial applications and space architectures.

Prior to joining Scorpius SLC / Microcosm, Dr. Conger was the Group Vice President of Comarco, Inc. where he managed divisions and two separate Corporations responsible for decision and system analysis, hardware and software development and national operations. Dr. Conger also had direct responsibility for a nation wide computer network supporting NAVAIR, and other specialized agency systems. Dr. Conger’s experience includes extensive work in the fields of concept development, system design, and development and manufacturing for both hardware and software. As President for Logicon-Intercomp, Inc., he managed the efforts in specialized operating systems, multi-path special processors, and multi-function real time systems. This included special systems for data gathering and process internationally.

With Dicom Industries, Dr. Conger was responsible for operations including manufacturing and engineering development of complex electrical/mechanical commercial products. At Hewlett-Packard, Dr. Conger was the engineering development manager for computer based data acquisition and control systems. While with the Air Force Special Weapons Laboratory, he worked on large complex systems, satellite experiments, and space programs concerning solar wind and radiation effects.

Dr. Conger has a Ph.D. in Engineering Management from Pacific Western University, an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Santa Clara, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico.

Voice: 310.219.2700  Fax: 310.219.2710, Email: rconger@scorpius.com
   
HOW TO FIND US
 
Scorpius Space Launch Company
4940 W. 147th Street
Hawthorne, CA 90250-6708 USA

Phone Number: (310) 219-2700

Fax Number: (310) 219-2710

Office Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
DIRECTIONS

From LAX:
Take Sepulveda Blvd. SOUTH. Take 105 EAST for 0.9 miles. Take 405 SOUTH for 0.2 miles. EXIT Rosecrans Ave. Turn RIGHT onto Hindry Ave. Then turn RIGHT onto Rosecrans Ave. Continue under the overpass then turn RIGHT at Ocean Gate Ave. Follow Ocean Gate until it turns left and becomes West 147th St.

From the I-105 Westbound:
Take the 405 South Exit. Proceed on the 405 South for 0.2 miles then EXIT Rosecrans Ave. Turn RIGHT onto Hindry Ave. Then turn RIGHT onto Rosecrans Ave. Continue under the overpass then turn RIGHT at Ocean Gate Ave. Follow Ocean Gate until it turns left and becomes West 147th St.

From the I-405 Northbound:
EXIT Rosecrans Ave. Turn RIGHT onto Rosecrans Ave and stay in the right lane. Turn RIGHT at Ocean Gate Ave. Follow Ocean Gate until it turns left and becomes West 147th St.

Lat/Long Coordinates: N 33 ° 53' 51.6" W 118 ° 21' 50.0"