Join hosts Annie Savage and Thomas Brownbill as they sit down with Robyn Ringuette, President at AstroForge, a groundbreaking Californian startup focused on asteroid deep space mining.

With an impressive background as employee 72 at SpaceX, SVP of Flight Launch at Virgin Orbit, and VP of Engineering at GXA, Robyn brings unparalleled insights into building the future of space exploration.

In this episode, Robyn shares his journey from childhood space enthusiast to literally building Falcon 1 rocket engines shoulder-to-shoulder with technicians at SpaceX, including the emotional toll of watching three failed launches, the serious responsibilities inherent in aerospace work, and the philosophy behind commercialising deep space exploration.

Episode Highlights:

• The precarious early days at SpaceX and physically building Falcon 1
• Why space work demands serious responsibility beyond the excitement
• Lessons learned from transitioning government programs to commercial operations
• The difference between working at large aerospace companies vs startups
• Hiring strategy and building diverse teams in competitive markets
• Practical advice on hardware redundancy and maintaining technological control
• Why Carl Sagan’s inspiration matters more than technical skills alone

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:15 Robin’s Journey into the Space Industry

05:50 Early Days at SpaceX

14:10 Leadership Lessons and Astro Forge’s Mission

28:25 In-House Operations and Risk Mitigation

29:10 Debunking the Magic of Space Exploration

31:52 Big Companies vs. Small Startups

36:56 Hiring Talent at Astro Forge

About Our Guest:

Robyn Ringuette is President at AstroForge, leading the company’s mission to extract valuable metals from asteroids and create a sustainable space-based supply chain.

Website: https://www.astroforge.com

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