This Week in Space 138: From the Garage to Mars

Update: 2024-11-22

Description

On this week's episode, Tariq and I speak with Scott Tibbitts, a dynamic and engaging space entrepreneur who spun $7 of hardware store parts into a 150-person, multimillion-dollar space company making tech for NASA that allowed deep space probes, starting with the Cassini mission to Saturn, to operate in the harsh environment of the outer solar system. Scott's tiny actuator replaced expensive, failure-prone explosive squibs with a device that could be tested (you can't really test something that goes *bang*), cycled, and tried again if it didn't work the first time. And it all started with his work at a water heater company and a few dozen cold calls that ended with one to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. There's much more to this story--including some intriguing advice for entrepreneurs--but you'll have to tune in to learn more! See you there.

Get "From the Garage to Mars" (Amazon Affiliate): https://amzn.to/3CPUgVw

Headlines:

• SpaceX successfully launches Starship test flight number six, despite not catching the Super Heavy booster

• The FAA releases a new draft environmental assessment, potentially allowing SpaceX to increase Starship launches to 25 per year

• Blue Origin completes its ninth crewed spaceflight with the NS-28 mission, carrying the 100th woman to fly to space

Main Topic - From the Garage to Mars with Scott Tibbitts:

• Tibbitts discusses his background and the role of fun and human connection in his life and work

• The origin story of Tibbitts' space company, Starsys, which began with a $7 invention using a copper tube and wax

• Tibbitts' cold call to NASA/JPL that led to the company's first contract and the development of a novel, non-explosive actuator for spacecraft

• The importance of testing and demonstrating the reliability of space hardware, as exemplified by Starsys' record of 3,500 devices in space with zero failures

• Tibbitts' experience fostering a unique company culture at Starsys, balancing the need for reliability with a focus on fun, family, and celebrating both successes and failures

• The role of intuition and "gut feelings" in entrepreneurship and how Tibbitts has learned to trust and follow these intuitive nudges

• The challenges faced by modern space startups, including the pressure from venture capital investors and the difficulty of hiring experienced space talent

• Tibbitts' advice for entrepreneurs: focus on customer discovery and product discovery, and "stop doing what you suck at" by focusing on your strengths and finding partners to complement your weaknesses