Valley of Depth

Back from the Dead, with Chris Kemp (CEO of Astra)

Episode Notes

Chris Kemp took Astra public in 2021 with a bold vision: low-cost rockets launching daily, bringing sovereign space access to every country on Earth. At its peak, the company was worth over $2 billion. Within two years, that valuation collapsed by 99%.

 

In this episode of Valley of Depth, we go inside one of the most dramatic flameouts and attempted comebacks in the commercial space era. We discuss:

 

• Chapters •

00:00 – Intro

01:53 – What's happened since 2022?

02:58 – What kept Astra going after test flight failures?

06:46 – Did Astra's engineering approach work against them?

08:15 – What Chris believes he got wrong

12:51 – Has Chris questioned his leadership at Astra?

14:37 – What would Chris have done differently?

16:34 – Taking Astra private & investor reactions

20:58 – What Chris saw more than anyone else

22:20 – Team and factory space at Astra

23:20 – Chris's philosophy on rocket building

25:54 – Rocket 4 vs Rocket 3

30:35 – Astra’s renewed business model

34:11 – Why is Rocket Lab valued at $16B?

36:21 – Engine business & customer trust

39:25 – NASA & Astra

39:49 – Post-privatization investment

45:18 – The team at Astra

47:08 – What went wrong with Astra's infamous flight

47:54 – Chris's evolving leadership style

50:05 – Chris's hardest moment at Astra

50:49 – Unfair criticisms of Chris

51:54 – What present Chris would tell past Chris

53:12 – What keeps Chris going

54:57 – Would Astra go public again?

57:51 – Astra milestones to watch

 

• Show notes •

Chris’ socials — https://x.com/Kemp

Astra’s socials —https://x.com/astra

Astra’s website — https://astra.com/

Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam

Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace

Ignition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear /  

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/

Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/

Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/

 

• About us •

Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies.