“It’s calculated, not complicated.”
This is such a time to be alive! The Silicon Valley of rocket science exists here in our backyard, the Space Coast. Nestled in Cocoa, Florida, Rocket Crafters is an aerospace growth company that is revolutionizing space access. They are next door to neighbors SpaceX but they are taking on a different side of aerospace than the other companies. It’s pretty neat to know that we have such exciting things cooking up in Brevard County.
Rocket Crafters have developed and patented a hybrid-rocket engine, which they have tested there at the location. What’s interesting is that other companies are not able to test at their location. The reason why Rocket Crafters can test their rocket engines is because…. They are not toxic to the environment! Nitrogen and oxygen are already in our environment, making it eco friendly and safe.
The team includes student inters from the Florida Apprenticeship program, bringing in skilled engineering students from UCF, EFSC, Embry Riddle, Florida Tech and Georgia Tech. I asked Evelyn, a Systems Engineer and previous intern, why she chose to work for Rocket Crafter instead of other big named companies: “Being at a smaller company allows me to be fully hands-on and dabble in several different areas of aerospace. I have chosen to follow a Systems Engineering path because I am interested in all aspects of aerospace engineering rather than once specific area, and here I am able to do hands-on work and see how everything integrates together.” Everyone has an excited energy and a big smile. It’s clear that they are all passionate about his or her work. When laughing about the alien symbol on the unisex bathroom sign, Evelyn smiles and says, “We’re a big group of nerds and misfits with humor.”
Evelyn and Mary
Rocket Crafters has a unique 3D printing technology (patent pending) that prints their fuel. The smooth burning, reliable fuel is essentially made of laughing gas and Legos. Sean Mirsky, the Chief Strategy Officer states, “We are an eclectic team joined together by the common goal of revolutionizing mankind’s access to space.” They explain that their mission is closer to home, wanting launches to be as safe as an airline flight, and more economical than the current price of a launch. Sean mentions that he hopes that access to space will one day be a mundane event thanks to innovative technology.
Mary Baldino, the Media Director, is excited to call upon local artists to paint a safety wall inside, giving the workspace a fun mural to inspire their quest. If you are a local artist, you can email her at mary.baldino@rocketcrafters.comand let her know you are interested.
Comments