Aerospace
10 SpaceX engineering directors
These ten current SpaceX engineering directors have held director-level engineering roles at SpaceX. A reader can learn how engineering directors work at SpaceX from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
01—10Caitlin Mackey Driscoll
LinkedInExperience: Director, Dragon Engineering · SpaceX
Director, Dragon Engineering at SpaceX since January 2025, a role the profile says leads a team of engineers and specialized technicians responsible for the reliable operation and improvement of Dragon; the profile headline names the Crew and Cargo Dragon programs. Caitlin Mackey Driscoll was also Senior Manager, Dragon Structures Engineering at SpaceX (2022–2025).
Charles Cox
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Starship Engineering · SpaceX
Senior Director, Starship Engineering at SpaceX since August 2026, in Brownsville, Texas, and Director, Super Heavy Propulsion Systems at SpaceX since December 2023. Charles Cox also held Senior Manager (2021–2023), Manager (2020–2021) and Lead Engineer (2019–2020) roles in Starship Propulsion Systems at SpaceX.
Cory Stuffelbeam
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starship Engineering · SpaceX
Director, Starship Engineering at SpaceX since December 2025, in Brownsville, Texas; the profile mentions primary structures development and manufacturing. Cory Stuffelbeam also held Sr. Manager, Starship Engineering (2024–2025), Manager, Starship Engineering (2021–2024) and Lead Build Engineer - Starship (2020–2021) at SpaceX.
David F. Knapp
LinkedInExperience: Director, Avionics Core Engineering · SpaceX
Director, Avionics Core Engineering at SpaceX since February 2025, responsible per the profile for ground segment, hardware development, avionics test, PCB design and sensor teams in the F9/Dragon engineering organization. David F. Knapp also held Director, Ground Segment (2024–2025) and Director, Starship Avionics Production (2021–2024) at SpaceX.
Eric M. Doran
LinkedInExperience: Director, Turbomachinery Engineering · SpaceX
Director, Turbomachinery Engineering at SpaceX since January 2026, a role the profile says leads the development, production and operation of the fuel and oxygen turbopumps for the Raptor engine. Eric M. Doran was also Senior Manager (2024–2025) and Manager (2022–2024) of Turbomachinery Engineering at SpaceX.
Howard Wu
LinkedInExperience: Director, Launch Engineering · SpaceX
Director, Launch Engineering at SpaceX since November 2021, in Hawthorne, California, a role the profile says leads engineering teams for launch infrastructure, ground systems, operational readiness and launch site development. Howard Wu also held Senior Manager, Launch Engineering (2020–2021) and Manager, Launch Operations (2017–2020) at SpaceX.
Ian Dahl
LinkedInExperience: Director, Satellite Engineering · SpaceX
Director, Satellite Engineering at SpaceX since December 2025, in Bastrop County, Texas. Ian Dahl also held Sr Manager, Solar Array Engineering (2025), Principal Starlink Engineer (2021–2025), Senior Manager, Starship Engineering (2020–2021) and Senior Manager, Falcon Engineering (2019–2020) roles at SpaceX.
Mithun Bao
LinkedInExperience: Director Software Engineering · SpaceX
Director Software Engineering at SpaceX since June 2023, in Hawthorne, California, a role the profile says owns delivery and technical direction for a software engineering organization. Mithun Bao was also Sr. Manager, Software Engineering at SpaceX (2021–2023) and Vice President, Data Engineering at PEAK6 (2020–2021).
Natalie Morris
LinkedInExperience: Director, Software Engineering · SpaceX
Director, Software Engineering at SpaceX since December 2022; the profile headline reads Director, Starshield Satellite Software and describes developing software for Falcon, Dragon, Starlink and Starshield. Natalie Morris also held Manager, Software Engineering (2021–2022) and Flight Software Engineer roles at SpaceX.
Tom Bracht
LinkedInExperience: Director, Satellite Engineering · SpaceX
Director, Satellite Engineering at SpaceX since November 2022, in Los Angeles, a role the profile tags at director level. Tom Bracht also held Acting Director, Satellites (2022), Manager, Vehicle Engineering (2020–2022), Lead Engineer (2016–2020) and Structures Engineer, Vehicle Engineering (2013–2016) roles at SpaceX.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's program and discipline, such as Starship structures, propulsion, avionics, satellites, launch or software, to the engineering question you bring. Check how recently they moved into their director role before asking how their team works today.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How do you run a hardware engineering team that designs, builds and tests in short cycles?
- 02How do engineering directors decide which test failures to chase and which to accept?
- 03How do you hand a design from development engineers to production and operations teams without losing ownership?
Reaching SpaceX engineering directors
How can I contact one of these SpaceX engineering directors?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: SpaceX, based on profile data retrieved on October 13, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach SpaceX engineering directors?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. It includes Instant Expert's 20% fee, so an offer that pays the person $100 costs you $125. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these SpaceX engineering directors a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
Request a correction or removal