Ghaffarian was born in Iran and his passion in space increased when he watched the historic event of the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing on television. He came to the United States at the age of 17 and began attending college at 18.[1]
He holds dual B.S. degrees in Computer Science and Electronics Engineering, an M.Sc. in Information Management, and a PhD in Management Information Systems.
Beside his work in industry, Kam is an active philanthropist focused on education, STEM initiatives, scientific research, and promotion of projects towards achieving interstellar travel.[2][3][4]
In 2019, he established Limitless Space Institute, a non-profit organization focused on scientific research, engaging students, and enabling future interstellar human space exploration.[5]
Career
During his college, Kam began working for Lockheed Martin when he was doing contract for NASA. He also previously held numerous technical and management positions at companies like Ford Aerospace, and Loral. After that he launched his own space company, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (SGT), co-founded with Harold Stinger in 1994.
The company operated as a contractor to government agencies focusing on IT, engineering, science applications, and mission operations. It became NASA’s second-largest engineering services contractor and generated over half a billion dollars in annual revenues. The company was acquired by KBR for $355 million in February 2018.[6]
Ghaffarian founded X-energy LLC in 2009. The company designs high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors.[7] He also co-founded a space exploration company Intuitive Machines in 2013.[8][9][10][11] The company holds multiple contracts with NASA.[12]
In 2016, he co-founded another company, Houston-based Axiom Space, with Michael Suffredini.[6][13] The company is focusing on private space missions and facilities and planned to build the first private space station.[14]
In 2020, he co-founded Quantum Space, whose mission is to build satellites that provide communications, navigation and space domain awareness in the cislunar space, the area between the Earth and the Moon.[8]
He became a billionaire several times over in first quarter of 2023 after his company, Intuitive Machines, wrapped up a SPAC merger and shares skyrocketed as much as 1,200% in one week.[16]
On February 22, 2024, a robotic lander from Intuitive Machines landed semi-autonomously on the moon.[17] The original plan was for the lander to be autonomous, but "a problem surfaced with the spacecraft’s autonomous navigation system that required engineers on the ground to employ an untested work-around at the 11th hour."[18]
