Q&A with Nick Gutierrez, Communications Systems Engineer

Q: What excites you the most about working at a company like Apex?

Since leaving SpaceX in late-2020 I have been interested in coming back the space industry. Driving into the office at 1am to watch the SpaceX Demo-1 launch is a level of excitement that you can’t get in any other industry. By joining Apex at an early stage, I get a chance to live moments like that with even more skin in the game. Having parts you designed fly in space is, to me, the pinnacle of engineering achievement.

Apex is situated at the perfect time and place to rapidly accelerate the pace of adoption for space systems. To be a part of that is daunting but exciting, the perfect challenge for me.

Q: Why are you excited about space?

Space is hard and rewarding. If we want Enterprise level space vehicles by the end of the millennia, we have a lot of work to do. With a bit of luck, my great-grandkids will be wearing those red and black jumpsuits and drinking their “Tea, Earl Gray, Hot.”

Q: You are somewhat new here at Apex. What has surprised you the most so far?

The level of commitment everyone has toward the common goal, launching our first satellite in February. It’s a small team, we practically all sit in one room. If you’re on the critical path, you are a few paces from any one in the company you need to help you meet schedule. We have the right team and processes in place to launch a successful satellite, with a fleet of satellites to follow shortly after.

Q: Tell us a bit about what you do in your free time.

I enjoy golfing in the summer and snowboarding in the winter. If you’re reading this, don’t forget to get your IKON pass. You can find me on the weekends at whatever restaurants have made “Eater LA’s: Essential Restaurant” list this month.

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