A system for producing synthetic gas from solid fuel comprising waste material, municipal solid waste or biomass, and for upgrading the synthetic gas produced, the system comprising: a first thermal chamber having a gasification zone in which an incoming first fuel stream is gasified by thermal oxidation to produce a first synthetic gas stream and heat; a first fuel feed system that delivers the first fuel stream into the gasification zone in an oxygen starved manner resulting in an oxygen starved delivery of the first fuel stream into the first thermal chamber; a pyrolysis reactor housed within the first thermal chamber; a second fuel feed system that delivers a second fuel stream into the pyrolysis reactor in a manner that prevents oxygen from entering the pyrolysis reactor, wherein the heat produced in the gasification zone is imparted to the second fuel stream in the pyrolysis reactor to cause pyrolysis of the second fuel stream and produce a second synthetic gas stream; and a thermal catalytic reactor comprising a second thermal chamber and a catalyst chamber defined by a housing located within the second thermal chamber, the catalyst chamber having a selected catalyst therein, the second thermal chamber being operable to receive the first synthetic gas stream and completely thermally oxidize the first synthetic gas stream to produce high temperature flue gas that imparts heat to the housing of the catalyst chamber, and the catalyst chamber being operable to receive the second synthetic gas stream and to thermally crack the second synthetic gas stream to produce a cracked synthetic gas stream, and then to direct the cracked synthetic gas stream to the catalyst to yield a finished gas or liquid product having a desired chemical composition as determined by the selected catalyst in the catalyst chamber. a first thermal chamber having a gasification zone in which an incoming first fuel stream is gasified by thermal oxidation to produce a first synthetic gas stream and heat; a first fuel feed system that delivers the first fuel stream into the gasification zone in an oxygen starved manner resulting in an oxygen starved delivery of the first fuel stream into the first thermal chamber; a pyrolysis reactor housed within the first thermal chamber; a second fuel feed system that delivers a second fuel stream into the pyrolysis reactor in a manner that prevents oxygen from entering the pyrolysis reactor, wherein the heat produced in the gasification zone is imparted to the second fuel stream in the pyrolysis reactor to cause pyrolysis of the second fuel stream and produce a second synthetic gas stream; and a thermal catalytic reactor comprising a second thermal chamber and a catalyst chamber defined by a housing located within the second thermal chamber, the catalyst chamber having a selected catalyst therein, the second thermal chamber being operable to receive the first synthetic gas stream and completely thermally oxidize the first synthetic gas stream to produce high temperature flue gas that imparts heat to the housing of the catalyst chamber, and the catalyst chamber being operable to receive the second synthetic gas stream and to thermally crack the second synthetic gas stream to produce a cracked synthetic gas stream, and then to direct the cracked synthetic gas stream to the catalyst to yield a finished gas or liquid product having a desired chemical composition as determined by the selected catalyst in the catalyst chamber.