Eric Fernandez spent his childhood on the central California coast, where watching rocket launches alongside his father became a regular part of his daily routine.
His bedroom walls were covered with posters of rockets, reflecting his fascination with spaceflight, although he never imagined pursuing a career in that field during his youth.
His family background added to this connection, as both of his grandparents had served at Vandenberg Air Force Base, tying his upbringing to the region’s longstanding aerospace heritage.
These early impressions laid the foundation for his later involvement in space‑related endeavors, even though the exact career path remained unclear to him at the time.