Jeff Thornburg

Jeff Thornburg is a seasoned aerospace executive with significant experience in leadership roles across various companies in the space and engineering sectors. As the CEO and Co-founder of Portal Space Systems since December 2021, Jeff has focused on solving dynamic space operations. Additionally, Jeff serves as a mentor for the Creative Destruction Lab's Space Stream and holds advisory positions at Stratolaunch, Ursa Major, and Sintavia. From December 2022 to March 2024, Jeff was the Chief of Engineering at Commonwealth Fusion Systems, addressing critical engineering challenges in energy and climate. Prior to these roles, Jeff held positions such as Chief Engineer at Agility Robotics and Founder, CEO, and CTO of Interstellar Technologies. Jeff's career also includes serving as the Director of Hardware and Mechanical Engineering for Amazon's Kuiper project and Vice President of Propulsion Engineering at Stratolaunch. Jeff's educational background includes a Master's degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology and a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.