AAE alumnus honored with Young Professional Award by AIAA
An AAE alumnus was honored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics with the Liquid Propulsion Young Professional Award at the AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum and Exposition.
Drew Damon (BSAAE ’09) was recognized for his early achievements in liquid propulsion and “potential for a successful career in the field,” according to the AIAA. Damon was selected by peers from related AIAA technical committees and local sections.
“This award was a really special honor,” Damon says. “I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of SpaceX’s achievements over the last nine years, and Purdue gave me a terrific foundation to build my career on.”
Damon has been with SpaceX, which manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, since graduating from Purdue in 2009. He said his experiences at Purdue gave him the tools needed “to start a career in the fast paced and technically demanding world of a startup rocket company.”
While at Purdue, he did two summer internships at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., with the second focusing on development of combustion components for the J-2X upper stage engine being developed at the time under NASA’s Constellation Program.
Damon currently is the engineering manager for SpaceX’s Raptor engine program, a position he has held since 2016..