More than two decades after he helped found a company in a garage, Tom Mueller is about to see it become one of the most valuable in history — an achievement he describes as 'surreal'.
SpaceX, the rocket firm co-founded by Mueller and Elon Musk in 2002, is preparing for its public market debut with an estimated worth of more than $1.8 trillion. Speaking to the BBC's Michelle Fleury, Mueller reflected on his journey from the very start.
“SpaceX co-founder Tom Mueller recalls being 'employee number one' as the $1.8tn firm prepares for market debut.”
'I was employee number one,' he said, recalling the early days when the company had just a handful of staff and a bold mission to make space travel affordable.
Mueller, a propulsion engineer, was instrumental in designing the engines that would power SpaceX's first rockets. For years, the company struggled to stay afloat, surviving on Musk's personal fortune and a series of high-risk launches.
Now, with a valuation that dwarfs most established aerospace giants, SpaceX is set to go public. The move marks a milestone not just for the company but for the commercial space industry as a whole.
Mueller credited Musk's relentless vision for the company's success. 'He had this idea that space exploration could be done differently,' Mueller said. 'It seemed crazy at the time, but he convinced me to join.'
The duo worked side by side through early failures, including three consecutive launch failures of the Falcon 1 rocket. The fourth, in 2008, succeeded — a turning point that secured a Nasa contract and saved the company from bankruptcy.
Today, SpaceX dominates the launch market with its reusable Falcon 9 rockets and is building Starship, the most powerful rocket ever designed. Its Starlink satellite internet service has hundreds of thousands of subscribers worldwide.
For Mueller, the impending public offering is validation of a dream that began in a small office. 'It's been an incredible ride,' he told the BBC. 'I never imagined it would become this big.'
The flotation is expected to be one of the largest in history, cementing SpaceX's status as a cornerstone of the new space economy.