The true measure of a universityʼs greatness is the achievements of its alumni.
Joe Bussenger ʼ13 was honored with the Jerome P. Keuper Distinguished Alumni Award at the 2024 Annual Homecoming Alumni Awards Gala April 6.
This award recognizes alumni whose career accomplishments honor the universityʼs legacy of excellence and is the highest honor a Panther can receive.
“When I was informed of the award, I was pretty speechless,” Bussenger says. “Sometimes, it is easy to get caught up in your work and not take a step back to appreciate the magnitude of what you are doing or how others outside of your workspace appreciate it.”
Bussenger is the director of launch operations and Florida site director for the Terran R program with Relativity Space.
“I really do love my work at the launch site because you are subject to a wide variety of different engineering disciplines,” Bussenger says.
Before his current role, Bussenger worked for over 10 years at SpaceX, after completing an internship with the company while in his junior year at Florida Tech.
After graduation, he converted to a full-time engineer at SpaceX and was the first launch engineer dedicated to Falcon 9 landing operations. During his time in this role, Bussenger was honored to announce to the world “the Falcon has landed” to the millions watching the historic event.
While growing in the ranks with SpaceX, Bussenger’s responsibilities included being the primary landing controller for over 100 Falcon 9 landings, overseeing cargo and astronaut recovery and managing varying groups, including recovery and launch control.
“Chase opportunities that you are passionate about no matter how young or green you may feel in the field. At the end of the day, you learn a lot, no matter if you are successful or not.”
Joe Bussenger ʼ13
Growing up in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, Bussenger developed a passion for motor sports and rockets at a young age. By age 10, he was determined to be an aerospace engineer and through the support of his family, he was able to participate in science and industrial fairs to strengthen this passion.
“During the winter of my senior year, I had won an award in high school that brought me down to the Cape to see a shuttle launch,” Bussenger recalls. “We happened to be staying in Melbourne, and my Dad and I had time to kill and came across Florida Tech by accident. When I peeked in the Olin building and saw rockets in the lobby, I was sold.”
While thinking back on his time at Florida Tech, Bussenger fondly remembers Discovery Day as one of his favorite events to participate in.
“It was a great opportunity to engage with prospective students and show off the work we were doing as undergrads,” Bussenger says.
These structured, full-day events are visitors’ chance to dive in, learn about and get a true feel for Florida Techʼs campus and community. His advice for them then and now:
“Chase opportunities that you are passionate about no matter how young or green you may feel in the field. At the end of the day, you learn a lot, no matter if you are successful or not.”
Q&A
FLORIDA TECH CONNECTION: ’13 B.S. aerospace engineering
RECENT HONOR: Winner of the 2024 Jerome P. Keuper Distinguished Alumni Award
THREE ITEMS YOU’D BRING IF STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND: Personal locator beacon, music and a hockey stick with a puck
IDOL: Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr., father of the NASA control room
ACTOR WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE: Tom Hanks
MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?: Night owl
HOBBY: I love motor sports. So, you can usually catch me at a track or watching some sort of racing. My goal is to hit every F1 track before I retire.
This piece was featured in the spring 2024 edition of Florida Tech Magazine.
