A Memory Of The SpaceX Factory

 

History was made late in the afternoon when 4 astronauts blasted off in a Space-X rocket and went into orbit. Today they will dock with the International Space Station. Almost 6 years ago, Elena got a "once in a lifetime birthday gift." She got a tour of the Space-X factory in Hawthorne, California.

            This huge factory started life as a Boeing facility that assembled 747's. When Boeing no longer needed the facility, a young and unproven rocket company named Space-X bought it for a bargain price. Space-x turned it into a rocket factory and its corporate headquarters. To get a tour of this factory, one must be personally invited by Elon Musk or a Space-X employee. I had a friend who worked as an engineer there. I asked him to help me give Elena a birthday present like no other. He had a date that night and had to keep his fiance waiting while he gave us a tour of the factory.

      Tours always take place on a Friday night. You are not allowed to announce in advance on social media that you are making the tour. One is required to report to the facility at six in the evening. We arrived in a Lyft vehicle. It was pitch dark. The factory does not have much exterior lighting. There is an airfield next door with planes landing and taking off all the time. It is a surreal feeling like being in a science fiction movie.

        As our driver pulled into the parking lot, a golf cart with two armed guards pulled up. We were asked what we were doing there. I responded that we had come for the tour and mentioned the engineer's name. A quick call was made to verify our story. We were told to report to the company snack bar. After a short wait, we were taken to a reception area. We had to fill out a long questionnaire on an IPad and give a thumb print. We had to turn off our mobile phones and all other mobile devices. No cameras were allowed. We were sent to a waiting area.

       The inside of the factory was well-lighted and full of life. My friend came and we began the tour. It was amazing and we were dazzled. There were some surprises. Rocket engines are not "stamped out" as would be the engine for your car. Some of the parts are made on machines. The engines are then assembled by highly-skilled technicians. Elena got close to a Falcon-9 booster. What truly amazed her was that its skin was about the thickness of a beer can. She was amazed that such a frail cylinder could support so much weight and endure stresses of flying at up to 18,000 miles per hour.

     Yesterday as I watched the liftoff, I thought back to our tour of the factory.