Tom Mueller, an aerospace engineer and SpaceX’s first employee, shared his journey into the company alongside Elon Musk. They met through an amateur rocket club, and Musk persuaded Mueller to join SpaceX, calling it one of the best decisions he ever made. On the eve of SpaceX’s historic initial public offering (IPO), Mueller praised Musk as an influential entrepreneur and mentor who brought talented individuals together and inspired them.
Mueller, who became part of SpaceX in 2002, expressed confidence in the company’s ability to revolutionize space exploration. “We believed it and we did it,” he said, acknowledging the significant milestones they achieved together. Many former and current employees, including Mueller, hold equity in SpaceX, which is set for its record-breaking IPO. “All of us are going to do great in this IPO,” he told CBS News, lauding the company’s remarkable success.
Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, may reach new financial heights with this stock offering, possibly becoming the first trillionaire. Mueller, instrumental in developing the engines for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, sees the IPO as another testament to the company’s achievements. He noted that Musk aimed to create a cost-effective way to access space, a mission accomplished with Falcon 9.
After leaving SpaceX, Mueller founded Impulse Space, focusing on satellite movement and space payload delivery. He remains passionate about the benefits of space exploration, highlighting advantages like GPS and improved weather forecasting. He envisions further progress in space, such as orbital data centers and utilizing lunar and asteroid resources.
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