Tim Ellis (engineer)

Tim Ellis is an American aerospace engineer and the co-founder and former CEO of Relativity Space.[1]

Early life and education

Ellis grew up in Plano, Texas.[2] He is the oldest of three children.[3]

Ellis started college at the University of Southern California, where he planned to graduate and be a screenwriter, and study as part of USC’s Thematic Option program.[4] However, during his freshman orientation he switched his major to aerospace engineering.[3] Ellis and Relativity's other co-founder and CTO, Jordan Noone, both held leadership positions at USC's Rocket Propulsion Lab (RPL).[5] Within RPL, Ellis and Noone helped launch the first student-designed and built rocket into space.

While at the University of Southern California, Ellis had three consecutive internships with Blue Origin.[4]

Ellis holds a BS and a MS in Aerospace Engineering from USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

Career

Recognitions

Ellis was included on the 2019 TIME 100 Next List, under the Phenoms section.[14] Former NASA astronaut, Terry W. Virts, wrote the TIME excerpt on why Ellis was chosen.[15]

In 2019, Ellis was included on MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 issue. He was placed in the Entrepreneurs category.[16]

Ellis was recognized by Forbes in two of their 30 Under 30 lists in 2019 - the Manufacturing and Industry list[17] and the Big Money list.[18]

Ellis was nominated by Via Satellite for their Satellite Executive of the Year 2019 award.[19]