[Energetic Music]
I'm Matthew Zu and I am the life support systems lead for the Quesst mission
my role is to help design develop and test a life support system
that keeps the pilots safe
the X-59 is flying up to 60,000 feet
and the higher you go the more critical it is for a system to keep its occupants protected
in case something goes wrong
in engineering we rely on a lot of science and calculations
and very technical levels of work
but I like to draw on a lot of inspiration through art as well
oil painting is my particular avenue
it helps me relax it helps me recharge
and it helps me build some inspiration for the technical work that I do
I was born in China and came here at the age of seven
and it was quite the culture shock
I didn't have any concept of fast food or Saturday morning cartoons
but I think when you're a child you have the advantage
of being able to quickly adapt
my wife and I welcomed our first child just this past January
and she is the most absolutely beautiful baby
I couldn't express to you just how much I love her
I grew up between Edwards Air Force Base to the north and Palmdale's plant 42 to the south
so my childhood was full of airplanes
of all kinds shapes and sizes flying overhead
and those were always such an inspiration
seeing the X-59 fly for the first time is going to be
an extremely proud moment for me
it's going to represent the culmination of a lot of effort
by so many people
as an artist and an engineer I can tell you the X-59 is a real work of art
[Music outro]