John Essmiller

John Essmiller is an accomplished engineering leader with extensive experience at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where they served as Chief Engineer for the Psyche spacecraft, leading technical development and mentoring teams. Their career highlights include roles in major missions, such as the Mars Perseverance Rover and innovative projects involving spacecraft technology and optical communications. Currently, John is the Director and Lead System Engineer at Blue Origin, focusing on the MK2 Crew lander to the Moon. An avid learner, John pursues advanced degrees in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California while also studying at the University of Cambridge.