Veteran Plasma Physicist Dr. John Brandenburg Appointed CTO to Lead Commercialization of Texatron™ Fusion Technology

The appointment of Dr. John E. Brandenburg as Chief Technology Officer of Kepler Fusion Technologies marks a pivotal development in the commercialization of fusion energy technology. With over four decades of experience in fusion energy, advanced propulsion, and applied plasma physics, Dr. Brandenburg brings unparalleled technical expertise to the Texatron™ aneutronic fusion platform. His career includes senior scientific roles at premier institutions such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he conducted research on magnetically confined thermonuclear fusion, and Sandia National Laboratories, where he worked on relativistic electron beam physics for defense applications.

Dr. Brandenburg's background extends to The Aerospace Corporation, where he directed the CMTX compact fusion propulsion experiment and supported national security programs, earning a formal Letter of Commendation for his technical contributions. His work at the Florida Space Institute at Kennedy Space Center involved leading research in microwave electro-thermal propulsion and magnetically confined fusion plasmas, while at Orbital Technologies Corporation he advanced vortex rocket engine theory and experimental testing. Since 2019, he has served as lead scientist at Kepler Aerospace Ltd. and Kepler Fusion Technologies, playing a central role in developing the Texatron™ compact toroidal fusion concept.

The implications of this appointment are substantial for the fusion energy sector. Dr. Brandenburg's deep understanding of plasma confinement and practical engineering is expected to accelerate the transition from theoretical research to commercial-scale deployment. His intellectual property portfolio, including multiple issued U.S. patents covering plasma reactors, propulsion systems, and hydrogen processing, provides critical proprietary technology protection. This expertise is particularly valuable as the company advances proof-of-principle plasma confinement validation and fusion-based clean energy systems development.

Company leadership emphasized the strategic importance of this appointment. Brent Nelson, CEO of Kepler Fusion Technologies, stated that Dr. Brandenburg's hands-on leadership in developing the Texatron™ platform makes him uniquely qualified to guide the technology toward commercial deployment. Richard Hawkins, Chairman and CEO of Renewal Fuels, Inc., noted that as the company builds an infrastructure-grade fusion platform, Dr. Brandenburg's technical vision and commercialization focus will be invaluable. The appointment signals a maturation of the company's technology development phase, moving toward practical engineering implementation and commercialization readiness.

Dr. Brandenburg's scientific contributions extend beyond his institutional work. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications across IEEE, AIAA, and APS Division of Plasma Physics proceedings, and is the author of The GEM Unification Theory: Extending the Standard Model to Include Gravitation. As a Lifetime Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics with multiple professional awards, his credibility within the scientific community strengthens the company's position in the competitive fusion energy landscape. In his new role, he will oversee technology strategy, reactor physics, experimental validation, intellectual property development, and long-term commercialization readiness for the Texatron™ platform, which aims to support modular, infrastructure-grade deployment for industrial, commercial, and grid-constrained applications.