Sid Guitierrez, Retired Nasa Astronaut, Named Chairman & Ceo Of Rocket Crafters, Inc

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - Feb. 2, 2015 - PRLog -- Sid  Gutierrez, a retired NASA Astronaut as well as a former Air Force test pilot and retired USAF Colonel,  has been named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rocket Crafters, Inc. (RCI), it was announced today by RCI’s Board of Directors.

“Sid has shared in our company’s mission since we were first introduced during the International Symposium on Private and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) in 2012; initially serving as a director and later as Chairman, he has been instrumental in helping us create a great team to fulfill our vision of making access to space, safe, affordable, and routine for humanity,” said Ronald Jones, RCI’s President and Chief Technology Officer, in announcing the new role for Gutierrez.

Paul Larsen, Rocket Crafters’ former CEO and now Vice Chairman and Treasurer said, “Sid’s leadership since his appointment to our Board has been outstanding. He inspires us to keep going – to achieve our mission of bringing to market a new type of launch system - a launch system that is aircraft like in its operability and durability, and is far more responsive and economical than anything yet created.”

Since his retirement from the Air Force and NASA in 1994, Col. Gutierrez had held a number of senior management positions with Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As a NASA Astronaut, Sid flew to space twice, first as pilot aboard Space Shuttle STS-40 and as Mission Commander of STS-59.He also served as Chief of the Astronaut Office - Operations Development Branch.

“There is no question in my mind that the type of dedicated small satellite launch system Rocket Crafters is developing is crucial to the expansion of space commerce. We are developing a system that is an order of magnitude more responsive and economical than the vertically launched, multi-stage rockets we have used for over half century,” Gutierrez said.

Rocket Crafters, based in Titusville, FL, is developing Sidereus SAS™, a two-stage to orbit space launch system.When brought to market later in this decade, Sidereus will be the world’s first tandem jet-rocket powered reusable manned spaceplane. With aircraft-like operability, this revolutionary spaceplane is being developed specifically to carry the Superna Spacecraft™, an expendable upper-stage that will deliver small satellites to orbit. Sidereus SAS™ will launch and recover much like a jet powered aircraft using conventional runways. Sidereus will be available to U.S. Government agencies for sale or lease; and under special wet-lease terms, it will be marketed internationally to civil space agencies worldwide. Operating from FAA licensed air & spaceport facilities, the Company also intends to offer scheduled launch services to commercial small satellite operators worldwide. Rocket Crafters also intends to offer its high-performance, low-cost hybrid rocket technology to the U.S. Government and other launch system developers.

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For additional information and to schedule one on one media interviews with Sid Gutierrez contact Dick Baumbach at 855-795-6800 or 321-544-3440 (Direct) or dick@bandfcommunications.com