When I decided to leave the IT world in July 2005 and try to get into the aerospace industry, my dream was to work for XCOR Aerospace or a company like it — a small company working on getting humanity into space because that’s what they want to do, not a big company living on government contracts. (Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas really disappointed me when they stopped development of the DC-X after the government lost interest.)
Well, six years and (almost) one aerospace engineering degree later, I have been hired by XCOR. I start on the 19th of December. I’d have to say it’s a best-case scenario: they are hiring me as an IT guy first and an aerospace engineer second, which means they will pay me based on 20+ years of experience instead of, uh, zero years.
I am a happy man.
Thanks to everyone who has supported us while I worked toward my dream. Family, friends, teachers, and the folks at XCOR.
Now Anna and I figure out how to live apart for a year and a half while she stays in Las Cruces to finish her master’s and I move to Mojave (ahem) to make a material contribution to the creation of a spacefaring civilization.
That’s been my mission since six years ago. It’s working out great so far.
Oh, did I mention that every XCOR employee gets a free trip to space?
Doug, congratulations! That’s fantastic news. It so happens that I spend time in Mojave, as that is the site of our largest windfarm (the largest in the US). We started developing it in 2008, and now have over 1000 mw’s generating clean energy just west of Mojave. We have a great relationship with Stu Witt, CEO of the Space Port(all of our turbines were shipped through the Mojave Space Port); Dick Rutan has also been a supporter. If you haven’t already, try the Voyager restaurant at the Space Port – best breakfast in the area. Also, check out their model of SpaceShipOne – my company was a contributor. Let me know when you get settled, we’ll have to get together on one of my trips.