During Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 on March 2, 2025, Michael Ashford watched as the spacecraft he helped build touched down on the moon.
“I was on the console watching it come down, calling out battery charge levels as it was on livestream,” Michael said. “It was just a really amazing experience.”
As an electrical engineer and technical expert at Firefly, Michael helped design the electronics and power systems for the lunar lander. One of two operators who monitored the spacecraft’s electrical system, he responded to issues and supported critical maneuvers that ensured the lander’s safe arrival on the moon.
For Michael, working for an aerospace company like Firefly had always seemed like a dream rather than a real possibility. But after transferring to Brigham Young University-Idaho from another university, the benefits of small class sizes helped launch Michael’s engineering career.
“I went to BYU-Idaho because I wanted a more involved academic experience,” Michael said.
He felt the impact of his decision immediately.
“I went from a circuits class that had 150 people to one that only had 30. I just felt like it was going to be a better environment for me, and it absolutely was.”
Reflecting on his experience, Michael says small classes made it easier for him to approach professors for help outside of class.
“Just getting to visit with them, work through problems, misunderstandings. It changed the outlook of my education and gave me a lot of hope that I could do engineering,” Michael said.
That support mattered when Michael questioned whether he could complete an engineering degree.
“There are definitely days, and I think every engineer has this in school, where you're like, I don't know if I can really do this,” Michael said.
Small class sizes also meant exposure to hands-on assignments and group projects that helped Michael develop practical skills and gain confidence in his engineering abilities.
One assignment in an embedded software class required Michael and two classmates to research, design, machine, and build a six-legged robot.
“We had to do everything. And it wasn’t perfect, but it was ours … it was amazing,” Michael remembered.
Michael said project-based coursework at BYU-Idaho helped him own his learning in ways that prepared him to take on similar responsibilities and engineering challenges later in his career.
“BYUI is an amazing place to learn and to grow,” Michael said. “The smaller setting often is much better because you do have more access to professors. They care about you deeply and know you by name, and they work personally with you to get you where you need to be. BYU-Idaho helped me discover [what] I really was capable of.”