Martin finds 'max' delight working for NASA

Max Martin, 28, was always a high achiever while he attended local schools. As a junior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he landed an internship at Space X, then worked there a couple of years after graduating.

Martin has continued his success as an award-winning systems engineer with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, including work on the Mars 2020 Mission.

Yes, he's a "brain on a stick" but there's much more to his story. He shared his journey and about what it takes to succeed in this interview:

Tell us about your family:

I have an older brother, Harrison, who lives in the San Francisco area with my sister-in-law, Nicole, and my two nephews. My mom, Sally, lives in Fallbrook and works as a writer and therapist, and my dad, Greg, lives in Canyon Country with my stepmom. I have a half-sister and stepsister who are here in California as well. I also have a wonderful girlfriend named Erin.

I noticed your mom is a PHD. Would you say being a high-achiever is a family trait?

She does! Education and hard work were always very highly prized in our family, but my mom was supportive of whatever we were passionate in, and encouraged us to try lots of different sports, instruments and extracurriculars to find what we enjoyed. Growing up I played (at various times) baseball, violin, piano, clarinet, trumpet, was a child actor, participated in academic team, cross country, track and snowboarding.

When did you feel space was something you would like to pursue?

Growing up I was always interested in space as my Dad was (and is!) an amateur astronomer, so we spent many camping trips staring at the stars. I didn't find out fully until I was an adult. My mom also made documentaries for the Discovery channel about the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle Challenger catastrophe. It all became real when I got my first internship at SpaceX after my junior year of undergraduate education at Cal Poly SLO – the rest was history!

Did you share your aspirations to family/friends/educators?

When I was younger, I initially wanted to go into medicine, but it was my high school AP chemistry (Tracy Markham) and AP physics (Dave Thuleen) teachers who really sparked my interest in science and engineering. When I applied to study materials engineering, my goal was to work on solar energy technology, but then found my way back to aerospace.

Was being an astronaut ever part of your plans?

I never fully articulated the desire to become an astronaut, but now I'm hoping that space travel becomes as commonplace as air travel such that in the next decade we are all astronauts!

Tell us about your younger years in school. Were you always the "smart kid" and how did it make you feel?

During elementary school I was in the "gifted" programs and I certainly enjoyed school, but it wasn't really until taking honors math and English in junior high (Potter) that I really started to be challenged and grow to appreciate and prioritize academics. Being the "smart kid" didn't really take on significance until high school when all of my classes were specialized compared to having one or two honors classes previously. I was involved in so many eclectic activities in high school that I had friends in many circles. Although I hung out with the "AP kids" it never felt so clique-y as in TV/movies.

What were your involvements at Fallbrook High School?

In high school I participated in a ton of clubs and activities: marching/jazz band freshman year, drama sophomore year, track and cross-country, model UN, Key Club, academic team, ASB - I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting as well!

Who was your major mentor/encourager?

My biggest encourager has definitely been my mom Sally, who always supported me trying new things, prioritizing getting me to different school events and activities, and giving me the tools to succeed. Other mentors throughout my career so far have been my first boss at SpaceX, Chris Vasquez; my friend and boss Cassandra Ojeda; and my college professors Blair London and Kira Abercrombie.

Who is your hero?

My personal hero is my mom Sally Wolf – she has led such an interesting and accomplished life (photographer, filmmaker, writer, therapist, school teacher and college professor) but always prioritized her kids and gave us every opportunity while supporting us as a single Mother. She's also hilarious and a ton of fun as well!

What was college life like?

College life at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was great. I made a lot of wonderful friends through Materials Engineering as well as through the Cal Poly Greek system. San Luis Obispo is an amazing place, with access to beaches, hiking, lakes and great local music and art - so between focusing on academics there was never a dull moment.

Is this your dream job?

I hesitate to ever say something is my dream job because I always want to continue to grow and learn new things but working at JPL has been amazing. In addition to the opportunities to work on exciting and groundbreaking space missions, JPL is like a college campus in that there are always world-famous scientists and engineers giving lectures that anyone can attend. There are also countless clubs and projects you can get involved with, and JPL really advocates for employees to get involved in the community.

What do you love about your work?

I love that there are always new and exciting challenges to face, and that I get to work on so many different aspects of our missions – from working on mission concepts, to the building and testing of spacecraft, through working the launch and on-orbit portions. I also love that I get to work with so many people who are knowledgeable and passionate about their work. I absolutely love my work!

What was your role with the Mars 2020 Project?

I worked on the analysis team to ensure that the Martian soil samples that will be brought back to Earth on a future mission were free of Earth-originated chemicals so that future scientists can detect signs of ancient life on Mars. I am also working on that future mission (Mars Sample Return) to prevent the transport of dust (outside of the sample tubes) from Mars back to Earth.

What other projects have you been involved with?

At JPL I also work on the Psyche asteroid mission, NISAR earth orbiter, Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and Trident, which is a mission proposal out to Neptune's moon Triton. Past missions have included OCO-3, ECOSTRESS, FINESSE, and CASE.

How do you project yourself moving forward with NASA?

My plan is to continue to work on our flight projects and proposals with increasing levels of responsibility and continue to learn more about all aspects of spacecraft and missions.

The iconic picture of NASA is people cheering and jumping with excitement with a successful landing, liftoff, etc. Have you experienced that?

Yes, those are truly amazing moments. The most iconic scene I have been a part of was when SpaceX landed a rocket for the first time. It was truly awe inspiring and the energy at SpaceX was indescribable.

Your feelings about that comradeship?

One of my favorite parts of my job has always been the amazing people I get to work with. To work with such a passionate and intelligent group of people make all the hard work worth it. Something around 6,000 employees here.

Is there a real feel of pride with your team?

There is a tremendous amount of pride, especially after big milestones like the recent mars landing. That you got to work on and even touch an object that is now on another planet never loses its novelty.

What are your other interests?

In addition to staying up on Space news, I enjoy playing softball and volleyball with friends, snowboarding, spending time with my family, friends and my dog, trying new restaurants and watching TV/movies. My dog is Charlie, a 4-year-old English Springer Spaniel.

Do you come back to Fallbrook often for weekends?

Yes! I try to get down at least once a month but had the pleasure of working remotely from Fallbrook during the first few months of COVID-19. I mostly come back to visit my mom, but I do also enjoy visiting restaurants I loved growing up.

Was Fallbrook a great place to grow up?

I really enjoyed growing up in Fallbrook. It is a beautiful place, and I met so many great friends during my time there. My favorite thing about Fallbrook, its small-town feeling – there are so many nice people, everyone knows each other and there really feels like a sense of community. From the avocado festival, hot summer nights, the Christmas parade, there are lots of fun activities that bring people together.

What is most important in your life?

The most important things in my life are my family, friends and pets. While I love my work, at the end of the day its who you get to share and enjoy it with that matters the most to me.

Is it a big deal to make others proud?

Its important to me to make my family proud, but in general I mostly work hard because I enjoy challenging myself to continue to grow. It's always nice to receive recognition from others as a reminder you are on the right track, but at the end of the day I find much more satisfaction in giving it my best possible effort.

What would you tell a young person about how to reach their goals or dreams?

I'd say the main thing is find what you enjoy and are passionate about. Although its cliché, finding something you really enjoy will make the long nights and hard work much easier.