Tom Mueller (aerospace engineer)

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Merlin 1D engines before assembly in the Falcon 9

Tom Mueller (* in St. Maries , Idaho ) is an American rocket engineer . He was Vice President for Engine Development at the private space company SpaceX , where he was primarily responsible for the development of the Merlin and Kestrel rocket engines .

Life

Tom Mueller's father was a lumberjack in Idaho. Even as a child he was enthusiastic about technology, repairing clocks and the family's motorized lawn mower. Even as a child he was fascinated by space travel, astronomy, stargazing and science fiction. He was happy to launch Estes model rockets. His math teacher encouraged him to pursue a career as a space engineer.

After completing his studies, Tom Mueller initially worked for the space division of the American conglomerate TRW Inc. for 15 years . B. also built the Pioneer 10 probe for NASA . TRW had built the engine for the descent to the moon for the Apollo lunar module , the TRW LM Descent Engine , which was further developed in 1972 as the TR 201 for the second stage of the Delta rocket. With the collaboration of Tom Mueller, the TRW rocket engine TR-106 or Low Cost Pintle Engine (LCPE) was developed.

In 2001 Mueller was dissatisfied with his work because he had the feeling that his design ideas were lost in the large company. To make up for this dissatisfaction, he sacrificed many nights and weekends to develop his own liquid rocket engines in his garage . He tried this out with like-minded people from the Reaction Research Society , a club of enthusiastic recreational rocket builders, including many employees of the aviation industry like himself, in the Mojave Desert . The Reaction Research Society was founded in 1943 and is America's oldest amateur rocket club.

In 2002, Tom Mueller was poached by Elon Musk , who was about to found his space company SpaceX. There he is in charge of engine development. The focus of his activity was the development of the Merlin engines. The Falcon 1 , the first rocket that SpaceX sent into space, was propelled in its first stage by the first version of Merlin. Kestrel, the second stage engine, was also developed under Mueller's direction. Nine further developed Merlin engines formed the engine of the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket. A Merlin engine optimized for the vacuum also drives its second stage.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jeremy Rosenberg: Tom Mueller: From Idaho Logger To Space Explorer , May 3, 2002 at KCNET.com.Retrieved December 7, 2014
  2. ↑ LMU: Rocket Man. Feature in LMU Magazine, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, 2011
  3. ↑ Ed Kyle: Extended Long Tank Delta. In: Space Launch Report. April 9, 2010, accessed December 7, 2014 .
  4. ↑ MG Lord: Rocket Man. Elon Musk doesn't just want to revolutionize space travel. He wants to save humankind from extinction in Los Angeles Magazine / lamag.com on October 1, 2007. Retrieved December 7, 2014
personal data
SURNAME Mueller, Tom
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American aerospace engineer, vice president of the private space company SpaceX for engine development
DATE OF BIRTH 20th century
PLACE OF BIRTH St. Maries , Idaho