
In the interview, he spoke about being inspired to enter the aeronautics field due to his father’s work as an electrician, coupled with witnessing the launch of Russia’s Sputnik in 1957. During his time at MIT, he relished in meeting extremely intelligent individuals and developed an interest in control systems. However, by his own admission he was an average student who struggled to gain a real feel for his work, despite having the ability to execute the related math.
He also provided advice to high school and current AeroAstro students, drawing on his previous experience as an MIT educational counselor. In addition to reinforcing the need for strong scientific and mathematical skills, he told students to always follow their passions, regardless of where that may take them.