Christopher Cretel

Christopher Cretel has extensive experience in aerospace and propulsion engineering, currently serving as an Advisor at Privateer Space since February 2022. Prior to this role, Cretel worked at Phase Four from October 2016 to July 2023, holding positions as Lead Propulsion Engineer and Senior Propulsion Engineer, where responsibilities included the development of the RF plasma thruster subassembly and contributions to advanced plasma propulsion technology for satellite missions. Cretel's earlier experience includes work as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the MOCHI Lab at UW Aeronautics, a Mechanical Engineer at Electroimpact, and roles in leadership and quality assurance at Sigma Phi Epsilon and Shur-Lok Co., respectively. Cretel is currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University, building on a Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington.