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 makes it both harder and more fun.

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 career and why comms is a critical part of mission success.

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 for long-term mission success.

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, and how those experiences shape the way AstroForge builds today.

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 good pair of headphones.

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 much an art as it is science. From quirky telescope moments to lessons on precision, this one zooms in on the details that matter.

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=bAUVCn_jw5I

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.