Elon Musk's Most Important Engineer in SPACEX History: Tom Mueller

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  • Опубліковано 20 січ 2024
  • Enjoy my interview with SpaceX legend, Tom Mueller. He designed the Merlin engine, the sturdy backbone of the most reliable rocket today!
    Tom may not work at SpaceX anymore, but his impact on the company is lasting!
    @ImpulseSpace
    _______________________
    Hi! I am now FULL TIME Ellie in SPACE!
    My channel started as a way to keep people up to date on the world of SpaceX's Starlink, the satellite internet service. The channel has grown to include the broader Elon Musk universe.
    Your support for my channel means a lot. Thanks for watching and if you have any video ideas, shoot me an email, eliana.sheriff@gmail.com.
    Find me on instagram, @elianainspace
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  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 252

  • @ross077
    @ross077 4 місяці тому +72

    This excellent, wide ranging interview is a real feather in your cap Ellie. Thanks for sharing the story of Tom Mueller's vital contributions to the space industry and I hope you can make the tour of Impulse Space happen in due course.

    • @Crunch_dGH
      @Crunch_dGH 4 місяці тому +2

      Huge "get" by EIS!🙇🙇‍♀️🙇‍♂️ THE Mr. Merlin, you kidding us?🤯 17:00 Ground up discovered by EM at an amateur rocketry event, rising from employee #1 to CTO & beyond!

  • @i_might_be_lying
    @i_might_be_lying 4 місяці тому +28

    It's probably one of the best all-round interviews with Tom Mueller. Great questions! Thanks!

  • @mycophyle
    @mycophyle 4 місяці тому +3

    Ellie, Thank you for interviewing a modern day HERO of rocket science. Tom Mueller is our modern day incarnation of Wernher von Braun!

  • @balaji-kartha
    @balaji-kartha 4 місяці тому +42

    Of course we know who he is. And wonderful that you go to interview him.
    And the part that he was the one who realised they needed a different fuel engine is historic! It is that realisation that will make humankind multiplanetary! Well done 👍❤

    • @irrefudiate
      @irrefudiate 4 місяці тому +2

      Noticed where he said the Raptor is the max engine right now. Any further step will require "new technology"!? Hmm.

    • @madelineremy5128
      @madelineremy5128 3 місяці тому

      😂🎉

  • @douginorlando6260
    @douginorlando6260 4 місяці тому +15

    There are a lot of UA-camrs focusing on SpaceX and lots of good videos. Ellie … this is one of the top 5 videos ever made. Excellent interview.

    • @douginorlando6260
      @douginorlando6260 4 місяці тому +1

      The only other video that comes close is Everyday’s deep dive into rocket engines.

    • @douginorlando6260
      @douginorlando6260 4 місяці тому +2

      Anyone wanting to get their message out can see from this interview Ellie is the best way to do it. ElonMusk, Jeff Bezos, I hope you see this video.

  • @keithnance4209
    @keithnance4209 4 місяці тому +17

    Cannot have any SpaceX biopic without Tom being a main character…legendary and how lucky are we to be able to witness living history in real time!

  • @donotcomply1628
    @donotcomply1628 4 місяці тому +4

    I could see Daniel Day-Lewis playing Tom. Not because the roll would be so difficult but because Daniel is a fantastic actor and maybe they resemble each other slightly.

  • @user-gk9oj3nb1m
    @user-gk9oj3nb1m 4 місяці тому +9

    This is exactly where informative interviews should be.. With the engineer's (Brilliant video)!

  • @grantguy8933
    @grantguy8933 4 місяці тому +7

    This is the best interview ever and also Tom is one of the most heavy weight among ALL Elons companies. ❤good job

  • @andycampbell91
    @andycampbell91 4 місяці тому +10

    👍👍👍 Tom and Elon are the real deal...thank you Ellie...💛

  • @dansbrown1313
    @dansbrown1313 4 місяці тому +4

    Thank you Ellianna, I suppose Tom is part of the actual magic of Elon Musk. He attracts experts to join his team and then convinces them to do more than they thought they could and then let's them go and hopes they come back for round two.

  • @Ravenought69
    @Ravenought69 4 місяці тому +16

    Awesome. Great that you got Muller vor an interview. He seldomly does any. I have seen some comments by him in documentaries, always wondered what further stories he could share about the spacex early days. I really enjoyed this interview. Thx Ellie.

  • @jwestney2859
    @jwestney2859 4 місяці тому +7

    I was so excited to see you interviewing Tom Mueller! I admire your work. You have come so so far from being the chicky setting up dishy in your back yard. ROCK ON!

  • @briangroene7756
    @briangroene7756 4 місяці тому +20

    Awesome interview, Ellie. My wife and I were just wondering who are/were the inside people behind SpaceX's success. Please do more like this.

  • @lang1892
    @lang1892 4 місяці тому +4

    holly cow you got mueller the goat

    • @ellieinspace
      @ellieinspace  4 місяці тому +3

      My next interview with him will be in person!

  • @john_hind
    @john_hind 4 місяці тому +9

    Your best interview yet! I knew the name of course, but not the face as he seems to be very rarely interviewed! If you get to interview him, or Gwynn Shotwell, or Elon, some questions that have been bugging me:
    1. Why did SpaceX never operate the Falcon 1 commercially? It was designed for the small launcher market and it was way ahead of the competition like Rocket Lab. Why not fly Falcon 1 while Falcon 9 was being developed? Was it always really just a learning project?
    2. Why is everybody doing methane now? The physics has not changed and methane has always been available. Why was it not used in rockets until now?
    3. Why was there such a reluctance in the US space industry to develop new motors, to the extent of reusing decades old designs and buying from Russians! Has motor development got easier recently (better materials or computation?), or was it just a matter of courage and ambition?

    • @Coyote27981
      @Coyote27981 4 місяці тому +2

      I can answer 2 for you.
      Multiple reasons.
      From reusability standpoint, specially for off planet missions, which is something relatively recent, methane is a better fuel. So right out of from the start, Kerosene is out due to coking. SpaceX has to really scrub down those Merlins after each flight. Not a thing you want to do off planet.
      Sure the shuttle engines running hydrogen where reusable. But compared to hydrogen, methane is way easier to manage.
      Methane has better energy density than hydrogen, so that means smaller and lighter tanks.
      Hydrogen leaks like crazy. It needs way colder temperatures to keep it liquid (and this matters, because you need lots of insulation, even from "hotter" liquid oxygen). Methane and oxygen are liquified at similar temps, so its easier to keep them closer.
      ISRU is a big part of future missions so being able to keep fuel liquid easier matters a lot.
      In both cases you can manufacture it with resources in Mars.
      Hydrogen does have an upper hand here as you can manufacture it in the moon, but not methane.
      At the end of the day, its a very good halfway compromise between whats good from hydrogen, and whats good from kerosene.

    • @MichaelWinter-ss6lx
      @MichaelWinter-ss6lx 4 місяці тому +2

      To nr. 3: US American rocket engine production has always been a senat job program. Russian rocket engines were cheaper and faster to get. Now they're off limits.
      SpaceX were the first to commercialy produce rocket engines, and also rockets. That includes streamlining production to reduce costs. The part of the buissiness that NASA never wanted to learn from their captured Germans and why SpaceShuttle costs went too high. See it again on SLS.
      A shame that SLS needs these solid boosters as they are too dangerous for human space flight and even were prohibited before the SpaceShuttle.

    • @john_hind
      @john_hind 4 місяці тому +1

      @@Coyote27981 The question was 'why methane (only) now' not 'why methane'. None of the reasons you give has changed since the dawn of the space age. Indeed, it should be easier to handle hydrogen today than in the past (better materials, more experience). Hydrogen has better specific impulse, but the larger tanks required to hold it tend to cancel out that benefit (plus it makes everything else harder). My theory is early rockets were designed by scientists while recent ones more by engineers who pay more attention to the practicalities!

  • @salty_berserker_channel
    @salty_berserker_channel 4 місяці тому +7

    Fantastic interview Ellie. Ashlee Vance also did a video with him and tour of his facility recently. I wish this was an hour long. Thank you !

    • @ellieinspace
      @ellieinspace  4 місяці тому +1

      My tour with him is next, how can I make it better than the last video you saw?

    • @salty_berserker_channel
      @salty_berserker_channel 4 місяці тому

      @@ellieinspace I'm a bit biased because I'm a nerdy nerd when it comes to the engines. I understood 100% of what he said in this interview. If he went further into detail including perhaps any 3d renders, mock ups, prototypes, or hands on demos of working flight hardware, id be pretty stoked. Most of this detail might bore your average viewer, I'm not sure. However the working hardware, maybe a test, I'm sure would please all. 😁

  • @dherman0001
    @dherman0001 4 місяці тому +8

    Home run video after home run video!
    Ellie is on a roll!
    Thanks for working to get this interview Ellie!

  • @bru512
    @bru512 4 місяці тому +3

    This is the first time I have heard Tom Mueller speak. Nice catch!

  • @jimparr01Utube
    @jimparr01Utube 4 місяці тому +1

    So great to listen to Mr. Mueller and his positive attitude to everything. Thank you Ellie.

  • @LegendaryInfortainment
    @LegendaryInfortainment 4 місяці тому +3

    Zero hyperbole there in the introduction. IMO "one amazing interview" falls a trifle short in accuracy of description. I enjoyed that more than most of the sum total of channel content observed in the past week. Really. And... he should add "most reliable valves in rocket propulsion history" too. Thank you SO much Ellie. You're rocking the -Space- space.
    I'd put an emoji here to personalize, but there isn't an 'old fart with gray beard' to be found.

    • @steveperreira5850
      @steveperreira5850 4 місяці тому

      Entertaining to read what you wrote! I’m gray without the beard! No Know if there’s an emoji

  • @melissachasteen4452
    @melissachasteen4452 4 місяці тому +14

    Ellie, this was an excellent interview. You do such a nice job on these individual interviews. The knowledge that you bring both of space in general and the individual in particular makes them so good.

  • @MolloRelax
    @MolloRelax 4 місяці тому +3

    I like the fact that it was mentioned that Elon is SO busy with everything that is going in his carreer. And yet ; he took a tiny portion of his precious time , to respond to a comment that I made a couple months ago; regarding the FAA's decision that SpaceX had to do some insignificant study of acoustics on marine mammals before he was allowed to pursue his attempt at his second launch ot starship.

    • @clarasorchard88
      @clarasorchard88 3 місяці тому +1

      Oh yeah, the seal with headphones…. That was ridiculous….

  • @alanhart9992
    @alanhart9992 4 місяці тому +4

    Great grab and interview of Tom. Wishing great success with Impluse for Tom and his team.

  • @anthonyd.8067
    @anthonyd.8067 4 місяці тому +4

    Wow never realized how much time he spent on dedicating to Mars. Despite obviously being the ultimate destination we aren’t at the point yet where we see all the work SpaceX has already put in on getting to Mars beyond the point of Starship getting into orbit.
    You would think they would first be working on getting Starship into orbit and then point their attention and resources to Mars but fascinating how it has all been happening side by side this whole time.

    • @MichaelWinter-ss6lx
      @MichaelWinter-ss6lx 4 місяці тому +2

      It needs an explicit goal to develope a space craft. It's a complex job and many things must be considered and taken into account.

    • @clavo3352
      @clavo3352 4 місяці тому +2

      Great comment. We must learn to walk and chew gum at the same time, now add a paper route (the realities of commerce) to that.

  • @kstaxman2
    @kstaxman2 4 місяці тому +3

    Great interview with one of amazing people who was there with Elon from the very beginning. His work was fundamental to SpaceX. Few people could have done what this visionary has. Truly a genius who designed so much of all the rocket engines SpaceX needed.

  • @calvincheney7405
    @calvincheney7405 4 місяці тому +6

    Outstanding interview Ellie. It would have been great to ask what he perceived of the issue with fuel slosh in the Starship booster 2nd launch during hot staging separation.

  • @cuisinartOH1
    @cuisinartOH1 4 місяці тому +4

    Great interview Ellie.

  • @Cape_Cod_Steve
    @Cape_Cod_Steve 4 місяці тому +6

    👍👍 This , was , the , Best ! So cool Ellie . Well done putting this together, making it look easy , but it takes so many ingredients to pull it off as you did . 🎉

  • @MissingTools
    @MissingTools 4 місяці тому +4

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Top notch episode! Totally enjoyed this interview!

  • @randyscorner9434
    @randyscorner9434 4 місяці тому +1

    Yep, Tom is the guy who figured out all the propulsion problems. He gets great credit for persevering even sometimes in contrast to Elon. It was not always easy but Tom got it done. Tom, I hope you're still racing that Porsche!

  • @gregorychaney7604
    @gregorychaney7604 4 місяці тому +2

    This was an excellent interview!
    I can't wait until you are able to tour the facility in Southern California.
    Cheers from Alaska

  • @BrainDamagedBob
    @BrainDamagedBob 4 місяці тому +3

    Congrats on this interview Ellie. Your charm and charisma opened this door. I'd like to hear from the top guys in project management. I am amazed how they manage to have so much coordinated activity going on at the same time. Is there a single piece of project management software that helps tie things together is it all in Elon's head or what?

  • @c0t1
    @c0t1 4 місяці тому +7

    Great interview, Ellie! Awesome job. Thank you, Tom Mueller, for your time and amazing insight. God speed, Impulse!

  • @MediaWML
    @MediaWML 4 місяці тому +2

    Without knowing what went on behind closed doors (there are always unsung heroes), I would say the three most important SpaceX people are Elon Musk, Tom Mueller and Gwynne Shotwell (negotiation of the Commercial Resupply Services contract with the NASA etc etc).

  • @Readerb86g
    @Readerb86g 4 місяці тому +2

    Great interview Ellie. And Thanks to Tom for his time and passing on the insights!!

  • @alkimball8920
    @alkimball8920 2 місяці тому

    I just discovered this channel a couple of days ago (better late than never) and the thing that's attracting me the most are these insider technical interviews. As an engineer with 40 years of experience, I love it when guests and topics are aimed at my own experience level. Thank you for doing this... I don't work with Impulse but I have done work with ULA, Sierra Space, and Space Force just over the last 10 years alone. This video stimulates my brain's synergy response. Thank you!

    • @ellieinspace
      @ellieinspace  2 місяці тому

      Well, you will be happy to know I’m interview tom IN PERSON in less than a month! I’m so happy you enjoyed this interview, get ready for an even better round 2!

  • @minisurfboardscouk
    @minisurfboardscouk 4 місяці тому +2

    Amazing interview love this interview would be great to see Elon and Tom do a catch up video chat in a Space bar with yourself as the interviewer Ellie

  • @tarkajedi3331
    @tarkajedi3331 4 місяці тому

    ANOTHER BRILLIANT INTERVIEW................
    TOM MUELLER IS A LEGEND IN THE INDUSTRY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    SUCH A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW TO GET A GUEST TO REVEAL IMPORTANT DETAILS COMFORTABLY.......
    GREAT JOB ELLIE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • @JohnWilliams-nj2nd
    @JohnWilliams-nj2nd 4 місяці тому +1

    Great interview Ellie. I have just recently read a book about the early days of SpaceX, so it really hit home. Such a genius. Good luck on Impulse Space Tom Mueller!

  • @GarretL757
    @GarretL757 4 місяці тому

    This was great, thanks Ellie and Tom for your time!

  • @doug3691
    @doug3691 4 місяці тому +1

    Another great interview, Ellie, thank you!

  • @jamesg7822
    @jamesg7822 4 місяці тому +1

    Great interview, this why I am a patron supporter 😊

    • @ellieinspace
      @ellieinspace  4 місяці тому +1

      And it really makes a difference! Thank you so much for going above and beyond

  • @chrissmart9625
    @chrissmart9625 4 місяці тому

    Top stuff Ellie,,, great interview, can’t wait for the tour video 👌💯

  • @jeffrey5961
    @jeffrey5961 4 місяці тому +1

    Thank Tom Mueller for all of his contributions. Thank Ellie for her reporting.

  • @darrellpugh6186
    @darrellpugh6186 4 місяці тому +1

    Brendan Fraser to play Elon Musk. Excellant Interview.

  • @deekay1810
    @deekay1810 4 місяці тому

    Thanks for sharing the wisdom, so exciting to be here now! 💖

  • @regolith1350
    @regolith1350 4 місяці тому

    Excellent interview. Really looking forward to the Impulse Space tour!

  • @zapfanzapfan
    @zapfanzapfan 4 місяці тому +2

    Oh, this will be interesting!

  • @Ugottahaveit
    @Ugottahaveit 4 місяці тому +1

    Fantastic interview Ellie!

  • @Primaate
    @Primaate 4 місяці тому +1

    Good interview. Awesome to see entrepreneurs and engineers given recognition in modern culture, if only via a movie.
    Last time was arguably during Apollo.

  • @richardduede9767
    @richardduede9767 4 місяці тому

    Wonderful interview. Thank you.

  • @mymodely7755
    @mymodely7755 4 місяці тому

    Good interview, nice catch!

  • @paulruscito4885
    @paulruscito4885 4 місяці тому

    Awesome interview, great job Ellie. I hadn’t seen a Tom interview yet. I’m going to look for more, doubt I’ll find better though.

  • @gannong1
    @gannong1 4 місяці тому +2

    Very nice job, Ellie, thank you!

  • @zmm978
    @zmm978 4 місяці тому

    Great interview, lots of good questions.

  • @TimFrench-tx1xj
    @TimFrench-tx1xj 4 місяці тому

    Great interview’ Thanks!

  • @calarndt
    @calarndt 4 місяці тому

    Very, very good interview Ellie!

  • @daviddipasquale5479
    @daviddipasquale5479 4 місяці тому

    Great interview. Very informative and interesting. Keep up the good work Ellie. And excellent engineering to the gentleman Tom
    !

  • @royjohnson366
    @royjohnson366 4 місяці тому

    Good work scoring this interview. 👍

  • @jamesdubben3687
    @jamesdubben3687 4 місяці тому

    Great interview!

  • @sxsignal
    @sxsignal 4 місяці тому

    great interview! thnx

  • @techiheed1845
    @techiheed1845 4 місяці тому

    What a great interview, I loved it. I'm going to have a look at these new companies. Nice one Ellie. Did @Farzad edit this one ;-)

  • @chrisroger2000
    @chrisroger2000 3 місяці тому

    Great interview and nice suit Eliana!

  • @datamatters8
    @datamatters8 4 місяці тому

    Great interview. Thanks.

  • @myyklmax
    @myyklmax 4 місяці тому +3

    LMU ... Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA.
    The Elon Movie may be waiting for the successful test flight of Starship before making or announcing the film.

  • @donfields1234
    @donfields1234 4 місяці тому

    Awesome Job Ellie. You go girl. 😊

  • @richardstewart1784
    @richardstewart1784 4 місяці тому

    One of your best. Great interview. Thank you

    • @ellieinspace
      @ellieinspace  4 місяці тому

      WOW! I am shocked by how much people love this interview. Here I was feeling nervous about it because I was in a hotel room in Vegas LOL

  • @robertdujin1365
    @robertdujin1365 4 місяці тому

    Top interview!👏👏👏

  • @edwinhensley
    @edwinhensley 4 місяці тому

    Excellent interview.

  • @richardtrustallen4192
    @richardtrustallen4192 4 місяці тому

    Great interview, thank you

  • @davecurtis8833
    @davecurtis8833 4 місяці тому

    Excellent content. I think Tom enjoyed the interview too.

  • @steveewing9601
    @steveewing9601 4 місяці тому

    Excellent interview!

  • @DroidURLuking4
    @DroidURLuking4 4 місяці тому

    Thanks for this one Ellie!

  • @airmagic2199
    @airmagic2199 4 місяці тому

    Kudos on this interview!!
    Brilliant guest.

    • @ellieinspace
      @ellieinspace  4 місяці тому

      Thank you for watching, I've been trying to interview Tom for a long time now!

  • @johnlynch5007
    @johnlynch5007 4 місяці тому

    Great interview Elie.

  • @solomonkassa778
    @solomonkassa778 4 місяці тому +1

    Elle thank you letting us know the most decisive people that made spaceX to be where it is now🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥♥♥

  • @Urgelt
    @Urgelt 4 місяці тому

    Good catch!

  • @MarkTimeMiles
    @MarkTimeMiles 4 місяці тому

    Excellent Ellie and Tom. 🙌

  • @michaelp1258
    @michaelp1258 4 місяці тому

    Very informative and COOL VIDEO ❤

  • @Edward-tz7xz
    @Edward-tz7xz 4 місяці тому

    Wow! Excellent. My favorite by far. Thank you.

  • @Shew0000
    @Shew0000 4 місяці тому

    Awesome video.

  • @gregwise5377
    @gregwise5377 4 місяці тому

    Another awesome interview, Ellie!!

  • @MicrogravityMischief
    @MicrogravityMischief 4 місяці тому

    super cool interview!!! what a guy.....

  • @winstonmontgomery8211
    @winstonmontgomery8211 4 місяці тому +1

    It would be cool to see a bio pic of Elon especially if they accurately depict a potential future showing us what a moon base could look like and then jump farther into the future showing Elon as an elderly man and having the first person land on Mars right before he dies. That would be a cool ending 😅

  • @andrewkeating3690
    @andrewkeating3690 4 місяці тому

    Good job seeking out worthy interviewees. Keep it coming.

  • @stevehockley5613
    @stevehockley5613 4 місяці тому

    Great interview.

  • @ourwetdogs5232
    @ourwetdogs5232 4 місяці тому

    You make a good listener Ellie and that brings out the best in your guests 😎

  • @richardrogers7339
    @richardrogers7339 4 місяці тому

    Very interesting thank you 🙏 from Australia 🇦🇺

  • @kennethwilliams7731
    @kennethwilliams7731 4 місяці тому

    Great interview! A brilliant man! If only America's schools could churn out thousands of brilliant and curious young men & women like him each year,we would be not only on Mars in the short term,but even beyond!

  • @ValenHawk
    @ValenHawk 4 місяці тому +1

    Great interview !!!

  • @tomumn4216
    @tomumn4216 4 місяці тому

    Great interview❤

  • @jw_yt
    @jw_yt 4 місяці тому

    This is excellent!

  • @william53
    @william53 3 місяці тому

    Very nice - enjoyed!

  • @joseorozco1383
    @joseorozco1383 4 місяці тому +1

    Congrats on securing an interview with a legend. ❤

  • @randycharland806
    @randycharland806 4 місяці тому

    Awesome interview Ellie!

  • @darrylthayer2692
    @darrylthayer2692 4 місяці тому

    Really eye opening, thanks from a space inthueadt

  • @YouT-DJ
    @YouT-DJ 4 місяці тому

    Very good! Thanks!

  • @dannyames5089
    @dannyames5089 4 місяці тому +1

    🎤Great interview Ellie! Good mix of fun, technical & trivial Q&A stuff. Thanks Danny!

    • @ellieinspace
      @ellieinspace  4 місяці тому

      WOW, thank you for the generous chat!!! And thank you for watching. I thoroughly enjoyed it too!

    • @steveperreira5850
      @steveperreira5850 4 місяці тому

      You are generous and she deserves it!

  • @TurinTurambar72
    @TurinTurambar72 4 місяці тому

    Favourite interview of him so far from the bunch he has done

    • @ellieinspace
      @ellieinspace  4 місяці тому

      Wow, that means a lot. What stood out about this one?