SpaceX’s first employee, Tom Mueller, shared his journey from an amateur rocket club to becoming part of SpaceX after being convinced by Elon Musk. Mueller described his career change as one of the best decisions he ever made. He praised Musk’s ability to attract and inspire talented individuals, crediting the billionaire founder of SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI for his mentorship.
The aerospace engineer reflected on his time at SpaceX, a company he joined in 2002, expressing confidence in its transformative impact on space exploration. Mueller noted, “We believed it and we did it. So it was really cool.” As SpaceX prepares for its initial public offering (IPO) on Friday, Mueller, along with other employees who own equity in the company, stands to benefit significantly. He stated, “All of us are going to do great in this IPO. I mean, we’ve done great. SpaceX has been extremely successful… it’s good for all the employees, and myself included.”
Elon Musk, with an estimated net worth of nearly $700 billion, could become the world’s first trillionaire following the IPO, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Mueller, who served as head of propulsion research, helped develop the engines for the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. He acknowledged the IPO as another achievement for the company, underscoring Musk’s vision to create a low-cost pathway to space, which the Falcon 9 successfully accomplished.
After leaving SpaceX, Mueller launched Impulse Space, a startup focused on delivering payloads in space and moving satellites. He continues to advocate for space exploration, highlighting its benefits, like GPS and advancements in weather forecasting. He remarked, “So space is super important — more than people realize.” Mueller anticipates further developments, such as orbital data centers and utilizing moon and asteroid resources, propelling space exploration’s progress.