My wife and I are both rocket engineers, and have worked (separately) on a dozen or so Air Force and NASA "flyback booster" "programs." I put "programs" in quotes because they were actually just studies. The conclusion of each study really didn't matter, because neither the USAF or NASA was ever willing to TRY anything. I've actually known Elon for almost 20 years, in various capacities, including in my role as Chief Engineer at FAA/AST, the office that licences all commercial launches and reentries. I can't say enough good things about him, but what my wife and I agree on wholeheartedly is that one of the reasons for the success of SpaceX is his willingness to just try things. This guy is an excellent example of the kind of person who has made and is making SpaceX work. Great interview, thanks for posting.
This is the most authentic interview I’ve ever seen. We need more journalism like this. You did an amazing job balancing the personal and technical questions. Please bring more content like this into your reporting.
You've taken the RUclips space channels to the next level. There are a dozen places that show the same video footage and cover the same stories but you go the extra mile to find unique, interesting subjects. Great job.
Exactly! I haven't watched any of her launch coverage live, I use the bigger channels for that. That would be so hard to beat, but going out like and doing real space related journalism, that's what makes Ellie stand out and I value the most.
Holy crap this is the stuff that I want to hear. Nothing political, nothing controversial just an amazing story about a guy who changed his life. Keep this up and I will definitely be there for every story.
It’s neat to hear an engineer’s perspective and having a full length interview, I’d watch many more interviews like this! They’re insightful, and let the interviewee express themselves and explain topics in more depth than we usually get
I’m a toolmaker at SpaceX for the Starship program and my team works with the engineers regularly.These aren’t your typical engineers…at least the ones I’ve dealt with in the past in other industrial environments. They will design this big complex tool/welding fixture and they will also come to the floor and be wrenching on it with us, analyzing laser tracking data, helping us drill holes in the concrete and pour grout etc. For sure a different breed of engineers at SpaceX
@@ellieinspace Please try to interview/document everyone's story at SpaceX in this way. This was so good. You should make that movie telling the full story so you can control the embellishments. You balance the personal and technical questions and your pace perfectly. More of this, please!
The way he answers that question 37:35 is the most assuring thing you can hear, this guy with is knowledge and experience knows for sure that this is possible and people at SpaceX are capable of such feat. You don't need to hear anything else from haters, doubters, government, etc...
Hearing his confidence was so emotional for me. I've dreamed of human space exploration since I was a little boy but lost faith in it when Bush cancelled the Shuttle Program. When SpaceX came along I became hopeful again but as you said there were always the haters, doubters, and governments that said it couldn't be done so there was always that lingering doubt. After listening to the entire interview, and the way he talks about the people at SpaceX and what they do to make it all work there, his response to that question is so concrete and reassuring that I believe him.
Ummm….. listening to the entire interview…… please explain how a single piece of this interview is relevant to the skills he claimed to have for spacex
This was one of my favorite interviews of ANY space channel. Maybe my favorite interview. Definitely better than any Elon Musk or Polaris Dawn interview that is all the same stuff we SpaceX fanboys already know about 10 times over. Honestly I liked it even more than Tim Dodds interviews of Elon at Starbase. Those interviews were great because of the Starbase tour but not necessarily the information. These lesser known engineers have super interesting NEW information that I crave. That's why I follow as many SpaceX and Tesla engineers on X as possible. Keep it coming Ellie and thank you!
I totally agree That’s why I felt so compelled to fly to Maine to interview him in person! It prob won’t get as many views as an Elon interview but I think the information is priceless I’m so glad you clicked and watched I know not everyone wants their story in the spotlight so I am thankful Phillip shared so much
Another great interview Ellie! A 100 years from now, people will be watching these videos and go, wow the story of SpaceX was really well documented! I hope that you dig through Eric’s book and find more people to interview like this. Thanks!
It sounds like working at SpaceX is not a job, it's an experience. A trying experience. The speed they move at, it makes sense. It's always been the case that if you want to be really, really good at something - it's going to take all your focus, time and energy.
@@JohnSmith-cb6qx if you want to make an omelets, you don't have time to fret over every egg, if they want to make mars travel possible in their lifetime, they have to go at an accelerated pace, this is bigger then them
What a great interview with Phillip , I'm sure that it Brought back so many forgotten memories for him for what he has achieved for SpaceX. It's great to hear from an insider point of view as well as the main characters of SpaceX.
This was a wonderful and interesting interview. I could listen to his experiences for longer than he probably wants to talk. lol I also appreciate his final choice to step away from his dream job for family. He sounds like he achieved a good balance of the big adventure, and then family life. Always a hard decision when you love the adventure, but it's a mature decision. Respect!
Oh my Ellie, what a fabulous interview. Engineers are a different breed, always giving their all to achieve the outcome. Nothing contrived, unquestionably genuine. The seemingly impossible feats solved by Spacex, underpinned by similarly difficult feats solved by people like Phillip. There must be many more stories similar to this one of Phillip's; I hope you interview many more.
I loved this interview Ellie. Phillip's story hits different and shows the real human feat behind these spectacular moments. From the real high of succeeding at what he was hired for, to the realisation of deciding between work and family. I appreciated his honesty, and you for letting him just fully talk and finish answers. Superb mix of questions about work and personal. If it's at all possible I'd watch more if these!
Thank you I hope more people see it I didn’t use a picture of Elon and that might mean less views but I want to show people behind the scenes of SpaceX
Just the way he describes the SpaceX interview tells you how smart he really is. That’s an interview for a team lead+, not a normal engineer slot. It’s great that people like him are the cogwheels in the complex system that drives innovation!
Great interview Ellie! Musk is great, but THESE, the boots on the ground, are the people with the awesome stories, unique perspectives, and the relatability of us normal working-class folks.
Hello Eric, By watching the last booster catch, I realised that SpaceX has: 1. The best software programmers in the world. 2. The best transducers experts in the world. 3. They talk to each other. Otherwise the entire feat - which requires the most granular coordination - wouldn't have been possible. I understand how you have a burning passion for some specific sectors of rocket engineering, and how SpaceX was able to feed you new challenges endlessly. This is the only avenue - for something that you love and like - to totally consume you as a person. Thanks you Ellie, for this video. Greetings from the UK, Anthony
Wow. You ask really good in-depth questions. If I want to take a nap, I usually look for something boring (like an interview or lecture), but you kept my interest high. That's a gift.
Kudos to you and Phillip Ellie. I really injoyed this interview with this smart Engineer who worked in the early days with SpaceX. He must be really proud of his accomplishments.🙌
It's really nice to see you back out in the wilderness chasing down exclusive people with amazing stories to tell. This is the thing that made you so fascinating. I remember your trip to Starlink and you couldn't get in because they were still building the factory, so you parked somewhere and started hiking through the underbrush to find a location to film the factory. You found an opening in the trees and panned down to your feet... you were wearing sandals!
Of all your excellent presentations, this was my favorite. So much SpaceX info is repeated daily, it was so refreshing to see the in depth info here. More of this please!
The subject and you interviewing this interesting fellow is special! Very glad you picked this up from Eric's book as I also was curious about Sea World relating to Spacex. Thank you and keep on going!
I really love the otherworldly colour balance that is in a lot of these shots, including the closing comments. The leaves pop with colour but seem soft, and the skin tones muted and pale yet so sharp. Really interesting to watch. It would be a wonderful technique for portrait photography.
THE best interview I have seen!! I am a SpaceX junkie and this is awesome!! I was at Starbase the day after 15 successfully landed. THANK YOU for what you have done, Phillip. So impressed!!!!!
I would definitely love a series made of interviews like this. People didn't start to get records of the guys behind Apollo until decades later. Being able to see these people who make up the fabric that's SpaceX and hear their stories is really inspiring
Yea i fully agree!!! Capturing these stories and narratives now while we dont even realize they're fresh is probably the best way to preserve all the hard work and interesting dynamics that occurred during this era. If we wait too long like till they're retired we might lose too many folks to age and their valuable insights
Thanks Ellie - that was a great interview !!! Phillip is a very interesting character, i am sure he has more great stories he could tell... If you get the chance to do more of these types of interviews - got for it !!! Would love to hear some stories from some of the guys building the Raptors...
Thank you for this, probably one of my favorite segments you have done. Phillip is humble and impressive, and provides great insight into what my own experience (and Elon’s priority) has been - small teams, motivated, empowered, focused and above all positive. I have a Daughter in aerospace and a son headed to college for engineering and have shared this with both of them. Excellent
HR actually looks for people with strong drives. My resume spoke for itself, as it was loaded with exotic jobs. I remember my Saturdays as a kid, waking up to WB cartoons and watching HeeHaw in the evening. I started working with Grandpa Jones when I was 29, then got hired at Warner Bros. Records when I was 33. The adventure all relates to how difficult your years were during your teenage years.
I didn't need another space subject "youtuber" to follow and wasn't going to add you to the list. This interview brought me over. So much here to learn and enjoy learning! Thank you.
I have said the same as he said, “anyone can do my job”. However now that I am in my late fifties I am finding people like us are unique in that we don’t see daunting challenges we see challenges that would be cool to solve. That mindset alone makes us unique. And that’s why others don’t do what we do.
Wow. Thes last few interviews even thought they are lengthy are absolutely great. I have really enjoyed seeing a different side of people and a different take on the news. Keep up the great work.
This is a pretty cool story. I used to work in R&D at a cryogenics company and I had a supervisor who liked to "play" with the unique properties of different cryogenic fluids. One time, we placed a small (2L) dewar of liquid nitrogen into a larger dewar that was equipped with a lid and could be used as a vacuum chamber. We connected the chamber to a roots blower vacuum pump with a length of copper tubing (to warm the gas and avoid freezing the pump), and this pumped a vacuum all night. The next day, we stopped pumping vacuum and opened a full port 1" valve to break vacuum to atmosphere. This was many years ago, but I'm sure it took at least 3-4 minutes to break vacuum on this ~ 40L vacuum chamber. It sucked in air like a rocket engine. When it finally came up to atmospheric pressure, and we removed the lid, we found a large chunk of solid nitrogen in a pool of liquid air. The liquid air had a slight blue hue (from the liquid oxygen). That was so cool! (pun intended). I couldn't believe how much air it sucked in. It probably would have sucked in more if the chunk of solid N2 didn't get submerged in the pool of liquid air. Another time, I was testing carbon composition resistors to use them as low cost liquid nitrogen level sensors for atmospheric vessels. I had a dewar of LN2 on my desk and was checking the resistance of various types of resistors. My supervisor walked by and dropped a roughly 5 Lb chunk of 304 stainless into the dewar. There was an initial "splash" which surprised me a bit, but then the nitrogen just bubbled and bubbled and bubbled as the warm chunk of steel caused the nitrogen to boil. It sat like that for many minutes and suddenly there was a dramatic increase in boiling with droplets being sprayed out of the dewar, and then just as suddenly - instant calm. A perfectly calm dewar of liquid nitrogen with a chunk of steel at the bottom. What just happened? I wondered. It was a dramatic demonstration of different modes of heat transfer. Initially I witnessed film boiling. The temperature between the steel and nitrogen was so great that it created a thin layer of nitrogen gas around the steel so that the liquid didn't actually touch the steel. This thin layer of gas acted as an insulator, and the rate of boiling was fairly low. Kind of like boiling pasta on the stove. And the rate was also slow enough, that the whole chunk of steel was all at nearly the same temperature. Very little temperature difference between the surface and the core of the steel. Eventually the steel cooled down enough that the liquid actually wetted the steel surface, and the heat transfer rate went up by several orders of magnitude. That was the minor "explosion" I witnessed. That huge heat transfer rate immediately cooled the steel down to the LN2 temperature, and after only a few seconds, with everything in temperature equilibrium, a calm pool of LN2. It was one of the most graphic demonstrations of heat transfer I've ever seen.
Viewers of SpaceX launch webcasts frequently remark on the "frost" which forms around the drains on the rocket engine, where liquid oxygen is dumped into the vacuum of space. It happens in every flight. This is essentially the same phenomenon as in the first episode that you have described. The only difference is that with the rocket in space, the evaporation and freezing happen extremely rapidly. And the spray freezes as "snow" or "frost" instead of a single large chunk.
Observe, analyze, then utilize ..... the first steps in building solutions to unique problems. (had to file down numerous resisters and calibrate wheatstone bridges to sense and monitor levels)
I appreciate Phillip's humility. I, too, am considered "smart", but I know there is always someone much smarter than myself just around the corner. I truly believe most of us can do a lot of stuff i do, but for most, it just takes a bit more work.
Elon is the ultimate fraud. He hires people like Phillip to create the tech he needs. He then claim credit for everyone else's ideas or inventions. He did it with Tesla, and now he's doing it with SpaceX. He's a liar and a bullshitter. He recently claimed an idea given to him by the "everyday astronaut " a youtuber than covers SpaceX. That's just one of many examples.
I'm really proud of you Ellie. You are doing it differently, using the specific skills you have and carving out a niche . Would love to see more of interviews like this.
It's amazing how a prior career in one field can lead to the opportunity of a lifetime in another; an experience that both Ellie and Phillip have lived. This was an incredibly well done interview. What stood out most about it was the messaging - follow your passions, work hard, and don't be afraid to change things up for new opportunities. Thank you for this gem!
I agree with others, this is one of the best and categorically most important interviews on RUclips. Plenty of people are reporting space news but this is *_recording_* space *_history_* . You’re the only person I’ve seen doing this, keep it up! (!!)
Dear Ellie, I love the way that you are building out the depth of the SpaceX development story. This young man is the Epitome of why the program is such a success. I’ll bet Elon is really glad that such a keen engineer put his hand up and sacrificed years to help the team with the Program … I love his Proposal … his wisdom to move on and inspire the next generation is so encouraging . I believe that this interview will inspire many more to consider taking on challenging engineering in whatever captures their attention in the many different industries around the world. I say this as a 68 year old retiree who has enjoyed a life of many and varied Projects around New Zealand. He chose to back out at a very good time for the right reasons and he expressed gratitude for the sage advice coming from the Shuttle guys, keep on finding these stories, they are gold worth recording … and you do it so well …
I feel for an engineer that understands going at lightspeed doing big things and they needing to focus on family and slow down. Sucks and its actually depressing but you know you did what you could do with the time you had. Him saying he didnt want to go back to watch a starship launch as it could result in him wanting to work there again hit hard. It really is an addiction (maybe a good one) but I felt that way too when he said he would have worked there for free. Pure passion in his art.
Ellie, there are 'similar' stories in every major company that makes a difference. Mine was working with a team that was pretty much set up to fail, we did the 'impossible' several times, in a row, until this big company said we have no more problems for you like that, so relax. It took 6 months for us to 'calm down' to only working 50 or so hours a week and finally wandering off as life happens. Drinking to coolaid from a firehose is hard work but so much fun at the time. It is heaven for nerds of the world to have projects that are 'insurmountable' to overcome. I totally get his thoughts and feelings.
This is a peek into a big issue with SpaceX and Tesla. That breakneck pace of innovation takes a toll on people. Family is more important. Farzad has hinted at similar struggles with his experience working at Tesla. I don't know the answer, but I have experienced overworking myself until burnout, stopping just short. I wonder if a solution can be found that keeps these top performers in the companies in a more sustainable way? Perhaps they could hire a team of mentors/coaches to guide their work, help them prioritize family, delegate better, spread the workload; whatever it takes. Maybe hire more strongly dedicated lanorers to assist with all this?
If companies can find a solution to that balance problem, then the "fix" should deliver big performance value. Burnout and departure of highly experienced problem solvers hurts timelines and costs money in many ways.
Between cooking and yard work Im watching your excellent pieces in stages (from Ireland) hope that doesn't spoil your viewing stats. This interviewee is probably a genius (but sublimely modest) - his story is amazing. However, should all these hard won technical facts be made public? Space X and Musk's team as a whole seem to have made huge efforts to get to their current position of space leadership. Is this not surrendering their advantage (to foreign powers perhaps 😮). Given the recent tendency to hit on Space X ? because of Elon's remarks shows how vindictive even his domestic competitors can be. Hope that's not too political for your channel - it's not meant to be. Anyway, thanks for everything 👍🏼🚀🛰️
Ellie this was a great interview! I've been following your efforts to break into the space content game (which you have) and this episode was the best one so far. Congratulations on coming up with this interview idea!!
Excellent interview Ellie! I have really enjoyed all that you do as a journalist! I could really relate to all he said as I was an aerospace engineer dreaming of working for NASA but govt shut most everything down and I ended up working for Apple when they were small - same kind of environment as Elon has . I loved it there's definitely adrenaline in it! If I were younger I would work for SpaceX like he said for nothing. For an engineer it's great to build great products and change the world for better! As Steve Jobs said insanely great. Musk is the new Steve Jobs, and more. Thanks again for a great interview!
Fascinating story. Thanks Ellie for documenting it. In decades time, people will go back when these heroes of science and engineering have contributed to space and the betterment of their communities. Just like our grandparents marveled at Apollo, these OG SpaceX engineers have unique achievements that we should be aware of. Thanks again.
ELLIE!!! WHAT A GRAND SLAM OF AN INTERVIEW!! This was a riveting, captivating interview! And YES THEY NEED TO MAKE THESE STORIES INTO MOVIES!! Great job and THANK YOU! This was fabulous.
This is the type of interview that I want more of. One thing that fascinates me, and has been covered not at all that I am aware, is the logistics of building and operating Starbase. Things "magically" appear, solving problems that likely have been on work for months. Just the contract management is brilliant. I am sure that there are NDAs that complicate things, but getting to know the people that quietly make big things happen in ridiculous time frames would be excellent.
This was a great interview! Glad that you interviewed one of the workers who helped make this happen! Too much focus goes on the controversial CEOs and not enough on the talented engineers that really make this stuff possible. Keep up the great content!
Thanks Ellie! You alone are telling ALL the stories of modern rocket technology which really is the people behind it. This whole interview is well worth the time spent learning Philip Rench's key role in standing up historic Pad 39A, beginning the miracle that is Starbase Boca Chica then choosing his family over career by walking away!!! Watch the full interview people!!!
Thank you, Ellie, for another great interview with the people who made SpaceX possible. I love this casual, long-conversation format where you give him the time to tell these amazing stories on how the magicians do their work. This is the most interesting and informative journalism going on in the space community right now. Bravo!
Thank you Phillip I'm glad you got the chance but I'm also glad you choose the family! These folks like Philip are the real reason problems got solved and with out it Space X wouldn't not be doing what it is doing.
I worked for a major aerospace company for 30 years and we launched alot of rockets. and not once did I EVER hear any mention reusable stages. That concept always seem like sci-fi, not going to happen, and then it does.
My wife and I are both rocket engineers, and have worked (separately) on a dozen or so Air Force and NASA "flyback booster" "programs." I put "programs" in quotes because they were actually just studies. The conclusion of each study really didn't matter, because neither the USAF or NASA was ever willing to TRY anything. I've actually known Elon for almost 20 years, in various capacities, including in my role as Chief Engineer at FAA/AST, the office that licences all commercial launches and reentries. I can't say enough good things about him, but what my wife and I agree on wholeheartedly is that one of the reasons for the success of SpaceX is his willingness to just try things. This guy is an excellent example of the kind of person who has made and is making SpaceX work. Great interview, thanks for posting.
This is the most authentic interview I’ve ever seen. We need more journalism like this. You did an amazing job balancing the personal and technical questions.
Please bring more content like this into your reporting.
You've taken the RUclips space channels to the next level. There are a dozen places that show the same video footage and cover the same stories but you go the extra mile to find unique, interesting subjects. Great job.
Because she is an excellent and experienced journalist. I loved her epic resignation form the mainstream media TV station she worked for. 😊❤
Exactly! I haven't watched any of her launch coverage live, I use the bigger channels for that. That would be so hard to beat, but going out like and doing real space related journalism, that's what makes Ellie stand out and I value the most.
Great interview. Thanks
If by "next level" you mean absense of timecodes, than yeah. Truly outstanding by modern standards
@@petunized What's a timecode?
Holy crap this is the stuff that I want to hear. Nothing political, nothing controversial just an amazing story about a guy who changed his life. Keep this up and I will definitely be there for every story.
Thank you so much. I was hoping for that response 🥹❤️
Well said.
It’s neat to hear an engineer’s perspective and having a full length interview, I’d watch many more interviews like this! They’re insightful, and let the interviewee express themselves and explain topics in more depth than we usually get
I’m a toolmaker at SpaceX for the Starship program and my team works with the engineers regularly.These aren’t your typical engineers…at least the ones I’ve dealt with in the past in other industrial environments. They will design this big complex tool/welding fixture and they will also come to the floor and be wrenching on it with us, analyzing laser tracking data, helping us drill holes in the concrete and pour grout etc. For sure a different breed of engineers at SpaceX
This was your best interview EVER!! I listened to every word. I was hearing real history from the person who was there.
Wow, thank you. I’m glad you see the power of it
@@ellieinspace Please try to interview/document everyone's story at SpaceX in this way. This was so good. You should make that movie telling the full story so you can control the embellishments. You balance the personal and technical questions and your pace perfectly. More of this, please!
R. I😊😅😅😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Love this interview Ellie! Wow, well done!! Super compelling. I shared this with my son who just graduated from engineering school.
The way he answers that question 37:35 is the most assuring thing you can hear, this guy with is knowledge and experience knows for sure that this is possible and people at SpaceX are capable of such feat. You don't need to hear anything else from haters, doubters, government, etc...
Hearing his confidence was so emotional for me. I've dreamed of human space exploration since I was a little boy but lost faith in it when Bush cancelled the Shuttle Program. When SpaceX came along I became hopeful again but as you said there were always the haters, doubters, and governments that said it couldn't be done so there was always that lingering doubt. After listening to the entire interview, and the way he talks about the people at SpaceX and what they do to make it all work there, his response to that question is so concrete and reassuring that I believe him.
Fascinating interview Ellie. Appreciate your dedication to travel all the way to Maine to deep dive into Phillip's contributions of the SpaceX story.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I think he gave some really great information and advice for youth
@@ellieinspace and adults that choose Family over career! He chose best!
Ummm….. listening to the entire interview…… please explain how a single piece of this interview is relevant to the skills he claimed to have for spacex
@@geekswithfeet9137Did you not watch the entire video? 🤔
Ellie, with this interview I think you have found your format. Great!
don't miss this comment
This was one of my favorite interviews of ANY space channel. Maybe my favorite interview. Definitely better than any Elon Musk or Polaris Dawn interview that is all the same stuff we SpaceX fanboys already know about 10 times over. Honestly I liked it even more than Tim Dodds interviews of Elon at Starbase. Those interviews were great because of the Starbase tour but not necessarily the information.
These lesser known engineers have super interesting NEW information that I crave. That's why I follow as many SpaceX and Tesla engineers on X as possible. Keep it coming Ellie and thank you!
I totally agree
That’s why I felt so compelled to fly to Maine to interview him in person!
It prob won’t get as many views as an Elon interview but I think the information is priceless
I’m so glad you clicked and watched
I know not everyone wants their story in the spotlight so I am thankful Phillip shared so much
Another great interview Ellie! A 100 years from now, people will be watching these videos and go, wow the story of SpaceX was really well documented! I hope that you dig through Eric’s book and find more people to interview like this. Thanks!
It sounds like working at SpaceX is not a job, it's an experience. A trying experience. The speed they move at, it makes sense. It's always been the case that if you want to be really, really good at something - it's going to take all your focus, time and energy.
Very similar to the Apollo programme.
Imagine how much talent they could retain if they didn't burn people out constantly. Short term gains at a long term cost.
@@JohnSmith-cb6qx if you want to make an omelets, you don't have time to fret over every egg, if they want to make mars travel possible in their lifetime, they have to go at an accelerated pace, this is bigger then them
What a great interview with Phillip , I'm sure that it Brought back so many forgotten memories for him for what he has achieved for SpaceX. It's great to hear from an insider point of view as well as the main characters of SpaceX.
This was a wonderful and interesting interview. I could listen to his experiences for longer than he probably wants to talk. lol I also appreciate his final choice to step away from his dream job for family. He sounds like he achieved a good balance of the big adventure, and then family life. Always a hard decision when you love the adventure, but it's a mature decision. Respect!
Oh my Ellie, what a fabulous interview. Engineers are a different breed, always giving their all to achieve the outcome. Nothing contrived, unquestionably genuine. The seemingly impossible feats solved by Spacex, underpinned by similarly difficult feats solved by people like Phillip. There must be many more stories similar to this one of Phillip's; I hope you interview many more.
I loved this interview Ellie. Phillip's story hits different and shows the real human feat behind these spectacular moments. From the real high of succeeding at what he was hired for, to the realisation of deciding between work and family. I appreciated his honesty, and you for letting him just fully talk and finish answers.
Superb mix of questions about work and personal. If it's at all possible I'd watch more if these!
This was absolutely wonderful! Thank you Ellie. Fantastic Job.
Thank you
I hope more people see it
I didn’t use a picture of Elon and that might mean less views but I want to show people behind the scenes of SpaceX
Just the way he describes the SpaceX interview tells you how smart he really is. That’s an interview for a team lead+, not a normal engineer slot. It’s great that people like him are the cogwheels in the complex system that drives innovation!
Great interview Ellie! Musk is great, but THESE, the boots on the ground, are the people with the awesome stories, unique perspectives, and the relatability of us normal working-class folks.
Once again Ellie demonstrating she's among the hardest working Space RUclipsrs!🇺🇲
Hello Eric,
By watching the last booster catch, I realised that SpaceX has:
1. The best software programmers in the world.
2. The best transducers experts in the world.
3. They talk to each other.
Otherwise the entire feat - which requires the most granular coordination - wouldn't have been possible.
I understand how you have a burning passion for some specific sectors of rocket engineering, and how SpaceX was able to feed you new challenges endlessly. This is the only avenue - for something that you love and like - to totally consume you as a person.
Thanks you Ellie, for this video.
Greetings from the UK,
Anthony
Wow. You ask really good in-depth questions. If I want to take a nap, I usually look for something boring (like an interview or lecture), but you kept my interest high. That's a gift.
MORE OF THIS PLEASE!!!
The world need to know them all and their personal stories!
This is your best interview yet. Keep it up . Thank you
Wow, thank you!😊
Kudos to you and Phillip Ellie. I really injoyed this interview with this smart Engineer who worked in the early days with SpaceX. He must be really proud of his accomplishments.🙌
I really like Phillip's telescope. You chose the right state to star gaze. That state is so dark, and quite beautiful.
He showed me Saturn! It was pretty epic!
But it’s the sunshine ☀️ State.😊
@@erikowren7894 Maine?
@ roger that I thought it was FLA. my bad.
@@erikowren7894 tis pretty dark in south western side, but still nowhere near as dark as Maine.
Just some useless info for ya lol
It's really nice to see you back out in the wilderness chasing down exclusive people with amazing stories to tell. This is the thing that made you so fascinating. I remember your trip to Starlink and you couldn't get in because they were still building the factory, so you parked somewhere and started hiking through the underbrush to find a location to film the factory. You found an opening in the trees and panned down to your feet... you were wearing sandals!
Again, thank you for putting your attention on RUclips & X instead of local news.
Great story! Thank you.
Of all your excellent presentations, this was my favorite. So much SpaceX info is repeated daily, it was so refreshing to see the in depth info here. More of this please!
An excellent interview! Allowing the interviewee time to answer the question sounds like a simple idea, but so many fail at it.
The subject and you interviewing this interesting fellow is special! Very glad you picked this up from Eric's book as I also was curious about Sea World relating to Spacex. Thank you and keep on going!
This is real Journalism. A very good Interview.
Its sadly insanely rare to have an interview without politics, forced answers or something like that. This is just amazing
I really love the otherworldly colour balance that is in a lot of these shots, including the closing comments. The leaves pop with colour but seem soft, and the skin tones muted and pale yet so sharp. Really interesting to watch. It would be a wonderful technique for portrait photography.
THE best interview I have seen!! I am a SpaceX junkie and this is awesome!! I was at Starbase the day after 15 successfully landed. THANK YOU for what you have done, Phillip. So impressed!!!!!
WOW, WOW, WOW YOUR BEST INTERVIEW BY FAR!!!!! MORE MORE MORE OF IT!!! THANKS ELLIE AND PHILIP!!!
Why did I read that in Trump's voice 😂
I would definitely love a series made of interviews like this.
People didn't start to get records of the guys behind Apollo until decades later. Being able to see these people who make up the fabric that's SpaceX and hear their stories is really inspiring
Yea i fully agree!!! Capturing these stories and narratives now while we dont even realize they're fresh is probably the best way to preserve all the hard work and interesting dynamics that occurred during this era.
If we wait too long like till they're retired we might lose too many folks to age and their valuable insights
Thanks Ellie - that was a great interview !!!
Phillip is a very interesting character, i am sure he has more great stories he could tell...
If you get the chance to do more of these types of interviews - got for it !!!
Would love to hear some stories from some of the guys building the Raptors...
Wonderful topic. A story about the nuts and bolts of a build. Thank you, Ellie. Some of us live vicariously through your stories.
You are so welcome!
Thank you for this, probably one of my favorite segments you have done. Phillip is humble and impressive, and provides great insight into what my own experience (and Elon’s priority) has been - small teams, motivated, empowered, focused and above all positive. I have a Daughter in aerospace and a son headed to college for engineering and have shared this with both of them. Excellent
I’m so glad it resonated with you, thank you for watching and for sharing the video! I guess my reporter instinct was spot on!
Brava, Ellie! I can see your enthusiasm as you feed your curiosity with their stories about conquering space.
Great time of the year to be in Maine with all the colours of fall.
It was absolutely stunning
HR actually looks for people with strong drives. My resume spoke for itself, as it was loaded with exotic jobs. I remember my Saturdays as a kid, waking up to WB cartoons and watching HeeHaw in the evening. I started working with Grandpa Jones when I was 29, then got hired at Warner Bros. Records when I was 33. The adventure all relates to how difficult your years were during your teenage years.
I didn't need another space subject "youtuber" to follow and wasn't going to add you to the list. This interview brought me over. So much here to learn and enjoy learning! Thank you.
Wow, thank you!
I try to bring you content you truly won’t see anywhere else
Thank you Elie, so rare to have ingeneer's interview.
I totally agree
I’m glad he agreed to chat
I know how he feel. I worked 12-13hrs a day for 7 months straight at my job. It was a lot of work but rewarding.
I have said the same as he said, “anyone can do my job”. However now that I am in my late fifties I am finding people like us are unique in that we don’t see daunting challenges we see challenges that would be cool to solve. That mindset alone makes us unique. And that’s why others don’t do what we do.
They could do it but they don't care enough to do it.
Fabulous interview Ellie! Keep up the great work!!
Thanks so much!
Fantastic background story we normally don't get to see. Thank you Ellie.
Wow. Thes last few interviews even thought they are lengthy are absolutely great. I have really enjoyed seeing a different side of people and a different take on the news. Keep up the great work.
By far your best interview so far Ellie!
WOW ! What a wonderful show ! Great editing too. So well done. You could have your own weekly TV program.
Maybe one day! Thank you!!!
This is a pretty cool story. I used to work in R&D at a cryogenics company and I had a supervisor who liked to "play" with the unique properties of different cryogenic fluids. One time, we placed a small (2L) dewar of liquid nitrogen into a larger dewar that was equipped with a lid and could be used as a vacuum chamber. We connected the chamber to a roots blower vacuum pump with a length of copper tubing (to warm the gas and avoid freezing the pump), and this pumped a vacuum all night. The next day, we stopped pumping vacuum and opened a full port 1" valve to break vacuum to atmosphere. This was many years ago, but I'm sure it took at least 3-4 minutes to break vacuum on this ~ 40L vacuum chamber. It sucked in air like a rocket engine. When it finally came up to atmospheric pressure, and we removed the lid, we found a large chunk of solid nitrogen in a pool of liquid air. The liquid air had a slight blue hue (from the liquid oxygen). That was so cool! (pun intended). I couldn't believe how much air it sucked in. It probably would have sucked in more if the chunk of solid N2 didn't get submerged in the pool of liquid air.
Another time, I was testing carbon composition resistors to use them as low cost liquid nitrogen level sensors for atmospheric vessels. I had a dewar of LN2 on my desk and was checking the resistance of various types of resistors. My supervisor walked by and dropped a roughly 5 Lb chunk of 304 stainless into the dewar. There was an initial "splash" which surprised me a bit, but then the nitrogen just bubbled and bubbled and bubbled as the warm chunk of steel caused the nitrogen to boil. It sat like that for many minutes and suddenly there was a dramatic increase in boiling with droplets being sprayed out of the dewar, and then just as suddenly - instant calm. A perfectly calm dewar of liquid nitrogen with a chunk of steel at the bottom. What just happened? I wondered. It was a dramatic demonstration of different modes of heat transfer. Initially I witnessed film boiling. The temperature between the steel and nitrogen was so great that it created a thin layer of nitrogen gas around the steel so that the liquid didn't actually touch the steel. This thin layer of gas acted as an insulator, and the rate of boiling was fairly low. Kind of like boiling pasta on the stove. And the rate was also slow enough, that the whole chunk of steel was all at nearly the same temperature. Very little temperature difference between the surface and the core of the steel. Eventually the steel cooled down enough that the liquid actually wetted the steel surface, and the heat transfer rate went up by several orders of magnitude. That was the minor "explosion" I witnessed. That huge heat transfer rate immediately cooled the steel down to the LN2 temperature, and after only a few seconds, with everything in temperature equilibrium, a calm pool of LN2. It was one of the most graphic demonstrations of heat transfer I've ever seen.
Viewers of SpaceX launch webcasts frequently remark on the "frost" which forms around the drains on the rocket engine, where liquid oxygen is dumped into the vacuum of space. It happens in every flight. This is essentially the same phenomenon as in the first episode that you have described. The only difference is that with the rocket in space, the evaporation and freezing happen extremely rapidly. And the spray freezes as "snow" or "frost" instead of a single large chunk.
Observe, analyze, then utilize ..... the first steps in building solutions to unique problems.
(had to file down numerous resisters and calibrate wheatstone bridges to sense and monitor levels)
I appreciate Phillip's humility. I, too, am considered "smart", but I know there is always someone much smarter than myself just around the corner.
I truly believe most of us can do a lot of stuff i do, but for most, it just takes a bit more work.
He is very humble! I definitely do not think I could do his job, I really do t have much patience for complex math
Elon is the ultimate fraud. He hires people like Phillip to create the tech he needs. He then claim credit for everyone else's ideas or inventions. He did it with Tesla, and now he's doing it with SpaceX. He's a liar and a bullshitter. He recently claimed an idea given to him by the "everyday astronaut " a youtuber than covers SpaceX. That's just one of many examples.
I'm really proud of you Ellie. You are doing it differently, using the specific skills you have and carving out a niche . Would love to see more of interviews like this.
This is so great! Great journalism Ellie!
This is a fantastic interview and very well produced! Keep it up!
This is your best interview I have seen! Great job interviewing and editing! 👍👍👍
It's amazing how a prior career in one field can lead to the opportunity of a lifetime in another; an experience that both Ellie and Phillip have lived. This was an incredibly well done interview. What stood out most about it was the messaging - follow your passions, work hard, and don't be afraid to change things up for new opportunities. Thank you for this gem!
I agree with others, this is one of the best and categorically most important interviews on RUclips. Plenty of people are reporting space news but this is *_recording_* space *_history_* . You’re the only person I’ve seen doing this, keep it up! (!!)
Ellie, this was an excellent interview; thank you! - Dave Huntsman
MILLIONS OF THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORKS .
Thank you for watching!!!
Dear Ellie, I love the way that you are building out the depth of the SpaceX development story. This young man is the Epitome of why the program is such a success. I’ll bet Elon is really glad that such a keen engineer put his hand up and sacrificed years to help the team with the Program … I love his Proposal … his wisdom to move on and inspire the next generation is so encouraging . I believe that this interview will inspire many more to consider taking on challenging engineering in whatever captures their attention in the many different industries around the world. I say this as a 68 year old retiree who has enjoyed a life of many and varied Projects around New Zealand. He chose to back out at a very good time for the right reasons and he expressed gratitude for the sage advice coming from the Shuttle guys, keep on finding these stories, they are gold worth recording … and you do it so well …
It was absolutely captivating to listen to a smart cookie like this engineer 👍
👍Thanks Ellie 👍
It really is! Thanks for watching and supporting my independent journalism
Incredible niche you found here. Loved this unique interview.
Wow keep doing these. We’d love to learn from other characters from the book.
I just finished reading Liftoff and Reentry! I really enjoyed both books! Lots of behind the scenes stories!
Amazing interview, not sure a movie on Space X could capture what you did there. Thanks a lot
I feel for an engineer that understands going at lightspeed doing big things and they needing to focus on family and slow down. Sucks and its actually depressing but you know you did what you could do with the time you had. Him saying he didnt want to go back to watch a starship launch as it could result in him wanting to work there again hit hard. It really is an addiction (maybe a good one) but I felt that way too when he said he would have worked there for free. Pure passion in his art.
Ellie, there are 'similar' stories in every major company that makes a difference. Mine was working with a team that was pretty much set up to fail, we did the 'impossible' several times, in a row, until this big company said we have no more problems for you like that, so relax. It took 6 months for us to 'calm down' to only working 50 or so hours a week and finally wandering off as life happens. Drinking to coolaid from a firehose is hard work but so much fun at the time. It is heaven for nerds of the world to have projects that are 'insurmountable' to overcome. I totally get his thoughts and feelings.
This is a peek into a big issue with SpaceX and Tesla. That breakneck pace of innovation takes a toll on people. Family is more important. Farzad has hinted at similar struggles with his experience working at Tesla. I don't know the answer, but I have experienced overworking myself until burnout, stopping just short. I wonder if a solution can be found that keeps these top performers in the companies in a more sustainable way? Perhaps they could hire a team of mentors/coaches to guide their work, help them prioritize family, delegate better, spread the workload; whatever it takes. Maybe hire more strongly dedicated lanorers to assist with all this?
If companies can find a solution to that balance problem, then the "fix" should deliver big performance value. Burnout and departure of highly experienced problem solvers hurts timelines and costs money in many ways.
Or perhaps leave it to the people who are willing to do the work. Not all of us need a nanny.
Great interview, one of your best. 🚀
What a fascinating interview. Great work in finding these ‘unknown’ heroes of the SpaceX history.
More to come!
This is one of the best interviews ever! thank you
I felt so many words from his interview as having been a SpaceX alumni from 2016-2021. This was such a great interview!
Seeing his emotions talking about SpaceX was just beautiful! Nothing but respect and admiration!
Great investigative piece 👍🏼👍🏼
Glad you enjoyed!
Between cooking and yard work Im watching your excellent pieces in stages (from Ireland) hope that doesn't spoil your viewing stats.
This interviewee is probably a genius (but sublimely modest) - his story is amazing. However, should all these hard won technical facts be made public?
Space X and Musk's team as a whole seem to have made huge efforts to get to their current position of space leadership. Is this not surrendering their advantage (to foreign powers perhaps 😮).
Given the recent tendency to hit on Space X ? because of Elon's remarks shows how vindictive even his domestic competitors can be. Hope that's not too political for your channel - it's not meant to be. Anyway, thanks for everything 👍🏼🚀🛰️
He building the next generation of kids interested in space 👍🏻🤩😀
Thanks for going there, this was great to watch. :)
Ellie this was a great interview! I've been following your efforts to break into the space content game (which you have) and this episode was the best one so far. Congratulations on coming up with this interview idea!!
Awesome! Thank you! I’m glad I went with my gut feeling!
The most captivating interview. Perfect!!!!😊🎯
Thanks!
Excellent interview Ellie! I have really enjoyed all that you do as a journalist!
I could really relate to all he said as I was an aerospace engineer dreaming of working for NASA but govt shut most everything down and I ended up working for Apple when they were small - same kind of environment as Elon has . I loved it there's definitely adrenaline in it! If I were younger I would work for SpaceX like he said for nothing. For an engineer it's great to build great products and change the world for better! As Steve Jobs said insanely great. Musk is the new Steve Jobs, and more. Thanks again for a great interview!
This is an awesome interview. As a former engineer I appreciate this unique perspective on what we do to make the world better.
Fascinating story. Thanks Ellie for documenting it. In decades time, people will go back when these heroes of science and engineering have contributed to space and the betterment of their communities. Just like our grandparents marveled at Apollo, these OG SpaceX engineers have unique achievements that we should be aware of. Thanks again.
Respect to this guy for putting his family first. His kids will appreciate him for that.
great questions, also about the psychology
Thank you, Ellie. I like your reporting, interviews and analyses.
Great interview. As a SpaceX fan, I enjoy hearing the "inside baseball" stories.
ELLIE!!! WHAT A GRAND SLAM OF AN INTERVIEW!! This was a riveting, captivating interview! And YES THEY NEED TO MAKE THESE STORIES INTO MOVIES!!
Great job and THANK YOU! This was fabulous.
This is the type of interview that I want more of. One thing that fascinates me, and has been covered not at all that I am aware, is the logistics of building and operating Starbase. Things "magically" appear, solving problems that likely have been on work for months. Just the contract management is brilliant. I am sure that there are NDAs that complicate things, but getting to know the people that quietly make big things happen in ridiculous time frames would be excellent.
This was a great interview! Glad that you interviewed one of the workers who helped make this happen! Too much focus goes on the controversial CEOs and not enough on the talented engineers that really make this stuff possible. Keep up the great content!
Thanks Ellie! You alone are telling ALL the stories of modern rocket technology which really is the people behind it. This whole interview is well worth the time spent learning Philip Rench's key role in standing up historic Pad 39A, beginning the miracle that is Starbase Boca Chica then choosing his family over career by walking away!!!
Watch the full interview people!!!
I'm 65.
Anyone that has chosen family over career, at the of the day, has made the right choice.
Thank you, Ellie, for another great interview with the people who made SpaceX possible. I love this casual, long-conversation format where you give him the time to tell these amazing stories on how the magicians do their work. This is the most interesting and informative journalism going on in the space community right now. Bravo!
Thanks for your excellent reporting, you and SpaceX were made for each other 🚀💕🚀
Well done Ellie. This interview was fascinating. Phillip is such a elequent and inteligent talker.
I agree. I think he not only is smart as an engineer, but a great orator, which usually don’t go hand in hand
Definitely one of the greatest interviews I’ve ever heard! Thank you!
Thank you Phillip I'm glad you got the chance but I'm also glad you choose the family!
These folks like Philip are the real reason problems got solved and with out it Space X wouldn't not be doing what it is doing.
I worked for a major aerospace company for 30 years and we launched alot of rockets. and not once did I EVER hear any mention reusable stages. That concept always seem like sci-fi, not going to happen, and then it does.
They didn’t dream big enough ! So glad SpaceX exists!
Amazing video and story, interview! Thank you thank you so much