Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

12-year-old's career: Ready for blast-off

An aspiring aerospace engineer from West Chester is likely to rocket to success if his current career path continues.

An aspiring aerospace engineer from West Chester is likely to rocket to success if his current career path continues.

Brandon Smoot, a 7th-grader at Devon Prep Middle School, was doing online research so he could design a two-stage hybrid/solid-fueled mini rocket when he found a company called Space Exploration and Technology Corporation (SpaceX), (http://www.spacex.com/), school officials said.  SpaceX is a leading American space transport company, advancing space technology through its Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft.

The more Brandon learned about the company - even copying one of its engine designs - the more intrigued he became with the company's CEO/CTO and chief rocket designer, Elon Musk, who is also the founder of PayPal, the Zip2 Corporation, and Tesla Cars.

Brandon decided he wanted to meet Musk, and so the 12-year-old penned a letter in February. "I sent Mr. Musk some of my own rocket designs and requested a visit to one of their offices.  The company wrote me back, sent me some SpaceX gifts, and an invitation to come out to their corporate office in Hawthorne, Ca., to meet Mr. Musk," Brandon said. "It was too good to be true."

But, true it was, and Brandon, his father Gregory, and his younger  brother Dylan traveled to southern California and the SpaceX headquarters  in late summer. He met Musk, NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, and several key SpaceX employees. The main topic of discussion: rockets.

Brandon, who hopes to launch a rocket-building career someday, would like to make space travel affordable for the average person. He said SpaceX representatives encouraged him to consider an internship with them when he reaches college age. "I think I'd like to do that," he said.