Roid Rage

In Episode 18 of Roid Rage, Chap (CoS) and Matt (CEO) chat with Chris, Head of Avionics at AstroForge, about how we design the systems that keep a spacecraft alive. From power distribution and flight computers to deep space thermal challenges and build vs. buy decisions, this episode breaks down what makes avionics one of the most complex parts of any mission - and why starting from a blank slate...

In Episode 17 of Roid Rage, Chap (CoS), Matt (CEO), and Robyn (COO) chat with Colin, Principal Engineer here at AstroForge, about deep space communications. Colin explains what makes talking to a spacecraft millions of kilometers away difficult - power, small antennas, and weak signals - and how link budgets, coding, and ground stations make it possible. He also shares learnings from his extensive...

Landing on an asteroid is nothing like landing on the Moon or Mars. In this episode, Matt (CEO), Robyn (COO), and Armand (Head of GNC + Flight Software) break down how we design for surface contact when there’s no GPS, no atmosphere, and almost no room for error. From autonomous targeting to sub-meter-per-second velocity control, we unpack what it takes to land in deep space - and why it matters f...

Before anything launches into space, someone has to make sure it won't implode onto itself. This week, we sit down with reliability legend Hans Köenigsmann - one of the earliest SpaceX hires and former VP of Reliability - to talk about what it really means to build dependable systems for space. From launch failure postmortems to risk-taking with rigor, Hans shares war stories, lessons learned...

This week on Roid Rage, we’re digging deep into asteroids (figuratively): what they are, how to tell them apart, and why it’s a lot messier than the textbook diagrams suggest. Asteroid expert Dr. Cristina Thomas joins us to unpack the murky definition of M-types, how we even begin identifying asteroid targets, and what mining one could really look like. No space PhD required - just curiosity and a...

This week on Roid Rage, we’re talking asteroids. Specifically, how do we see 'em? Our guest Al Conrad has decades of experience working with some of the most powerful observatories on Earth, and shares stories from behind the lens: what makes the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO) so unique, how astronomers actually use these tools to track asteroids, and why observation is just as...

What does success look like when you’re building a deep space mission on a startup budget? In this week's episode of Roid Rage, Chap (CoS), Robyn (COO), and Matt (CEO) break down how AstroForge approaches mission requirements — and why our version differs from the traditional playbook. 'Why Starting A Rocket Engine Is So Hard' by Everday Astronaut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA...

This week on Roid Rage , we’re joined by Demyan, Senior Mission Operations Engineer at AstroForge, to dig into the messy reality of planning and designing missions - in particular, deep space asteroid mining missions. Chap (CoS), Matt (CEO), and Demyan unpack how real-world constraints shape every decision, what tradeoffs actually matter, and where even well-built designs can fail.

In this episode of Roid Rage , we’re digging into how we build — and deliberately break — our Concept of Operations (ConOps) at AstroForge. Chap (CoS) is joined by Robyn (COO) and Matt (CEO) for a candid look at what actually goes into operational planning for a deep space mining mission.

This week, Chap (CoS) and Matt (CEO) sit down with Ashton, Head of Space Systems at AstroForge, to chat about the iterative process of qualifying hardware for deep space. From design to testing, Ashton shares his experiences leading the team through the building process of Odin - and what lessons he hopes to apply to Vestri.

In this episode of Roid Rage, we’re joined by Nathan and Kieran, two of the brains behind the code that powers our spacecraft. We dive into the world of flight software — the critical systems that keep our missions alive and on track. From booting up in space to surviving the harshest conditions, we talk through what it really takes to write code that flies. 

In this week's Roid Rage episode, we chat with AstroForge’s new Chief Business Officer (CBO), Krystle Caponio, to hear about what ultimately led her to asteroid mining. With 15+ years of experience as an aerospace exec, Krystle shares her journey in building value for the space industry through her wear-all-hats approach.

In today's episode of Roid Rage, Chap (CoS) sits down with Matt (CEO), Robyn (COO), and Josh (Head of Finance) to break down the differences between ERP, QRP, MES, and QMS - the key systems that make building spacecraft possible. We explore how these essential manufacturing and business systems work together, from managing ingredients and recipes to ensuring every slice meets quality standard...

In this episode of Roid Rage, Chap and Robyn sit down with Armand, Head of GNC at AstroForge, to break down one of the most critical—and misunderstood—systems in spaceflight: Guidance, Navigation, and Control. Armand explains how GNC keeps spacecraft on track from launch to deep space, and how it ties into everything from propulsion to autonomy. We explore the difference between rockets and spacec...

In this episode of Roid Rage, Chap (CoS) sits down with Matt (CEO) and Robyn (COO) to break down how we use the design spiral to develop and refine our solar panel technology. We discuss the unique constraints that make our design different, the key trade-offs we’ve faced, and the lessons learned from rigorous testing. Plus, we dive into listener questions on asteroid mining, rapid iteration vs. f...

In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on Mission 3 and how the lessons learned from Odin are shaping the design of our next-generation spacecraft, Vestri. We’ll break down Mission and Spacecraft Level Requirements, dive into how we’re engineering critical subsystems, and unpack the early decisions that will define the success of this mission. As a bonus, we open up the supporter mailbag...

In Episode 2, we break down the mission to Odin—what worked, what failed, and what we learned. CEO Matt Gialich and COO Robyn Ringuette pull no punches, revealing the brutal realities of deep-space exploration, the risks no one talks about, and why failure is just another step toward history. Buckle up—this is transparency like you’ve never heard in the space industry before.

In our first episode, Matt, Robyn and Chap talk about all the risks AstroForge took in building a spacecraft in 10 months and why exactly they took them.