Chris Maruyama at Scorpius Space Launch Company (SSLC) in Torrance. The company built the fuel tank that propelled the Odysseus lunar lander to the Moon in February.
By GWEN MURANAKA
RAFU SENIOR EDITOR
Welcome to the Moon.
After some tense moments, the Odysseus lunar lander safely touched down on the Moon on Feb. 22, marking the first time in 50 years a U.S. spacecraft reached the lunar surface.
There were cheers and celebration for the historic feat — the first commercial spacecraft to land safely on the Moon — but especially in Torrance at the offices of Scorpius Space Launch Company (SSLC).
In an interview with The Rafu Shimpo,Chris Maruyama, Scorpius manager of composite operations, said with pride, “It was definitely one of the mountaintops for my life and a career aspiration.”
In an industrial building in Torrance, the Scorpius team is a mix of creative enthusiasm, entrepreneurship and true engineering expertise that defines the growing commercial space industry. Maruyama started at the company in graphic design and now builds and manufactures the components. A graduate of UCLA, his work is multifaceted involving and includes machining, fabricating and design work.
His father, Takashi Maruyama, was an accomplished physicist with the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.
Artist’s illustration of Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander on the surface of the Moon.
Scorpius built the all-composite propulsion tanks that were used to propel the telephone-booth-sized lander to the Moon. Developed by Intuitive Machines, Odysseus’ mission was to assess the environment of the Moon’s south pole in advance of NASA’s plans to return a crew of astronauts to the Moon in late 2026.
From Tang to cell phones and solar panels, space exploration has long fueled innovation, and Scorpius is an example of that.
“Space exploration has always been about pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and capability,” said Markus Rufer, Scorpius president and CEO. “We are a good example of how the inventions and innovations that come from this endeavor not only benefit astronauts but also improve our quality of life here on Earth.
“While our PRESSURMAXX liner-less carbon composite tanks are going to the Moon, they have already been embraced by the medical field for applications in cryo-ablation to treat cardiac arrhythmia and for mobile respiratory oxygen supplementation devices.”
Maruyama led a tour of the Scorpius office, where the tanks are built using lightweight composite materials. A photo of a pickup truck sitting atop shows the strength and durability of the tanks. He showed how the material, flexible and strong, is ideal for the harsh conditions of space.
“Everything in aerospace has to be lighter. Our tanks also have to survive cryogenic temperatures, very cold temps. That’s why the tanks are important. The other thing is it’s all carbon fiber — no metals bonded in,” he explained. “The fibers are strong … If you pull it this way it stretches. This is how we’re able to make different shapes.
Maruyama demonstrates the flexibility of the carbon fiber material used to create the propellant tanks. Lightweight and strong, the materials can be formed into many different shapes.
Scorpius has been a dream job, Maruyama said as he stood in a machinery shop filled with tools. “I always wanted to be building stuff and working with my hands. Scorpius gave the opportunity and taught me how to do things and I also taught myself on YouTube to do some things. There are never boring days here — we’re always doing something different, finding different solutions.”
The race to explore the Moon has increased in recent years with countries such as China, Brazil, Japan, and India making advances in lunar exploration. Scorpius has provided tanks for the next two launches by Intuitive, with the next one tentatively scheduled for November.
“Now a lander is on the Moon … Something I made is going to be there for a long, long time, That’s what’s really exciting,” Maruyama said.