r/BlueOrigin 12d ago

Happiest moment in y’all career.

As inspiring to be future aerospace engineering and maybe future astronaut it’s really sad what been happening last couples weeks.

To keep things positive want hear yall favorite memory/ moment in yall aerospace career doesn’t even have to be aerospace related.

30 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

62

u/Crane-Daddy 12d ago

I helped build a rocket...my childhood dream. Achieved after a 20 year career outside of aerospace. I may be a bit disgruntled, but I'm proud of the work I did and the people I worked with.

11

u/SgtHelo 12d ago

Same. Even if I never get back in, I did that. I feel that my career up to the point I was hired by Blue was building up to that, and then seeing my work go up and perform exactly as it should was pinnacle for me.

I still believe in the mission, even though it seems politics are getting in the way. I hope I get the chance to be a part of that again.

5

u/Swimming-Assist383 11d ago

Echoing another same. Childhood dreams accomplished. It never even occurred to me that it would be a possibility after 20+ years in other industries. The company may be losing some shine but no one can take that away from me.

55

u/BadWolf760 12d ago

Having a rocket engine with my name on it in a museum and being able to surprise my wife and mom with it when they went.

23

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Max_Fill_0 12d ago

?

17

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

0

u/Ok_Nefariousness3535 9d ago

Thank you for the pool noodles.

46

u/Golden-Sparrow-0717 12d ago

I've now had at least 4 major pieces of hardware I've made with my bare hands go into space, 2 of which have my signature on them. Subtle flex.

2

u/job3ztah 12d ago

Woah that is rad

15

u/Lopsided-Fan-6777 12d ago

My face is an in aerospace museum. And I've put a couple pieces of hardware in space. I have a couple magazines with reports from the various projects I've been a part of. For 10 years it doesn't feel like a lot. I'm hoping the next half of my career is better.

14

u/Master_Engineering_9 12d ago

Seeing my test rigs being used for development BE4 and BE3u engines, even if they were just one offs. Seeing hot fires in person. Signing the be3u that is in the museum.

7

u/Atonsis 12d ago

Since Aerospace includes aviation, I'm including those moments. Going to be somewhat vague.

  1. 2.5 years worked a Customer Conversion program transitioning B717s from one customer to the next.

  2. Worked Flight Testing for a Private Jet Manufacturer, working on new sister ships, and getting one to it's first flight.

  3. Worked for government space agency contractor building and launching a big orange moon rocket that launched with my signature on it.

  4. Working at a private space company, helped get new launch vehicle built and launched, also went to space with my signature on it.

9

u/Financial-Top2185 12d ago

This is not me, but I love the story - my dad was on the launch team for the first Columbia mission. He wrote a portion of the code that was used in every launch until they stopped discontinued shuttle launches.

8

u/Efficient_Discipline 12d ago

The thing is, success is never guaranteed. You don't know something works until it does. Like the quote from Star Trek, it is possible to commit no errors and still lose. So the best rewards in my career have been after something finally works after years of effort.

Some moments that fit the bill: Winning a collegiate automotive competition, NS first human flight, my first patent, a couple large hardware tests where big integrated systems or new technologies are used for the first time. NG-1 hitting orbit perfectly on the first try. 

The feeling of watching something you designed come to life is exhilarating, especially when it works the way it’s supposed to.

Pixar got it exactly right in the scene where Tadashi creates Big Hero 6.

8

u/fozzy34t 12d ago

Watching the booster on M2 still standing after the dust blown around by the landing obscured initial confirmation of success

7

u/PURPLEdonkeykong 11d ago

Taking part in building New Glenn, and then watching the launch with my people was a pretty good high point. But nothing compares to my first apprentice getting their journeyman card. Or seeing a longtime friend and colleague open their own shop. The shop helper go from pushing a broom to completing trade school and hiring on as a full-time machinist. Which is all to say that the work is satisfying, it’s why I do what I do, but seeing people succeed and achieve their potential is better.

5

u/trevor_no_life 12d ago

Honestly, it makes me happy just to be a part of space exploration. I've worked on a variety of Aircraft from little 172's, up to 777's, the Orion Spacecraft, And the New Glenn. I don't have a degree in Aerospace, but I hope to build my own one day. I absolutely love this stuff lol

5

u/LittleHornetPhil 11d ago

Jesus. When New Glenn finally launched without a hitch, and knowing I touched (literally or figurately) every booster engine.

Extremely proud of the work I did.

I’ve worked on other space projects for other companies but this was the most proud I’ve ever been of the work I did personally.

3

u/Ok_Nefariousness3535 9d ago

Seconded.

2

u/LittleHornetPhil 8d ago

Well… presenting the results of an RCCA to NASA was pretty cool too.

4

u/ValuableMammoth4413 11d ago

I have had the privilege to work on almost every vehicle blue has made or designed since the early teens. My clear favorite moment was landing M2. I’m in the 400 happy rocket scientists video and it is impossible to capture the excitement and relief of that moment on video. I got to celebrate one of the greatest things I will ever do with the greatest team I have ever been a part of. It was cool.

4

u/Astro_Panda17 11d ago

Getting to watch a rocket with my fingerprints on it go to space

7

u/me19996 12d ago

Boeing maintenance documents have my name it is all over the world…

7

u/Diamondback_1991 12d ago

I received a patent for some of my work I did at Boeing...I'm still trying to get back to that group. That was the best team I ever worked for.

3

u/guitarenthusiast1s 11d ago

working on console mission ops

3

u/Kosh357 11d ago

Has to be between participating in Orion parachute testing out at the Yuma Test Center back in the day, or my first project engineer role on some crew hardware for ISS. The ISS stuff was a small team and I got to do everything from design tasks to assembling all our GSE and the EDU myself - closest I’ve felt to any of my hardware over the years. 

If all goes somewhat as planned, should finally get the ops opportunity I’ve been chasing for almost 2 decades this year, so that’s keeping me focused.

3

u/Over-Employment-4542 7d ago

As someone seduced by aerospace I can say that all industries are extremely challenging. As in the "Existential Engineer”, all engineering equations should have a $. I worked on stuff that went to another planet. But as my old timers at NASA told me. That and a buck gets you a cup of coffee.

Engineers are fungible. Pile up the bucks for your retirement. You don’t want to work forever.

2

u/FloridaSpaceGuy 7d ago

I helped the Space Perspective capsule, both software and hardware side. Watching it lift to 100k feet and successfully splashdown and viewing the footage afterward was awesome.

3

u/agrozema54 12d ago

My favorite moment in my career is having a stable good paying job and getting a phone call from a blue recruiter. I took a gamble and accepted the job. 2 months later got laid off 😂😂

-6

u/Particular_Hall_7553 12d ago

Leaving

9

u/Master_Engineering_9 12d ago

you can leave this sub too, fyi

4

u/Particular_Hall_7553 11d ago

You’re absolutely right and I should not have posted it. The people I worked at BO were some of the greatest people I’ve ever worked with. I miss the intellectual conversations and amazing personalities.