Rick Tumlinson

Radio-podcast Host

2022 - Current

I'm the host of The Space Revolution on iRoc Space Radio. https://www.irocspaceradio.com/the-space-revolution I have great conversations with the leaders, thinkers, and doers of space - with no agenda, other than to help you learn about those leading the Space Revolution. Given that it's me, our show is a bit different. We engage in actual conversations with no fixed agenda - as if the person were sitting in your living room. This allows folks to loosen up a lot. I often learn things about them just as you do - and every guest so far has been fascinating. (Except that one guy....kidding!) We go where it takes us, so come along for the ride! We are part of the iHeart Radio network. Podcast versions of my shows can be found on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast sites.

Founder

2018

I started SpaceFund to help catalyze a NewSpace industrial infrastructure - with a focus on what I call "FrontierTech." SpaceFund is a Houston, Texas-based Venture Capital company with $20M+ in assets and 21 successful companies under management. SpaceFund Venture Capital brings Visionary investors together with Brilliant entrepreneurs. As of this year our new management team is raising our third fund - in the $100M range. Let's talk if you are an accredited investor who wants to go big and get in early, as the Space Revolution is taking off right now! Our goal is to democratize space and space investment, allowing more people to invest in and profit from the coming renaissance on the High Frontier. Our SpaceFund Reality Rating is a standard reference for those interested in companies in the field.

Founder

2012

The EarthLight Foundation is about creating a new culture and ethic as we open the High Frontier. It is a 501c3 not for profit organization dedicated to carrying the seeds of life throughout the universe by developing and communicating how this can be done, and why it is critical. ELF also acts as the holding and support entity for other projects/groups that are engaged in work that supports this goal. Our Permission to Dream "DreamScopes" project aims to enable middle school kids to look through a telescope. Our first placement was in Victoria, Texas, and we are now placing other scopes. We are actively seeking sponsors and donations, with the benefit that every sponsored scope will carry the donor's name on it. Contact me if interested! Our New Worlds Conference and Space Cowboy Ball are becoming must-attend events for both those on the leading edge of space and those wanting to get involved.

Founder

2011

Founder

2015

New Worlds 2023 was a smashing success! Sold out! The Space Cowboy Ball as well! I am so grateful to the amazing team we had, and the incredible guests. The New Worlds is a part of the EarthLight Foundation, with a focus on supporting those building the technology and culture necessary to build living human communities on the Moon, Mars, and the Free Space between worlds. NW is engaged in creating the community to both map out our critical path forward and to travel that path to the point that will enable the first human beings to step on another world - to stay. And then there's the Space Cowboy Ball... "We'll be Baaack! 2024 is coming and the party is ON!

Co-Founder

1988

Founder

1988

Founded the Space Frontier Foundation in 1987 with Jim Muncy and Bob Werb. Formal founding in 1988. The Foundation helped create the New Space community now transforming the field and about to move humanity into space. Foundationers conceived of, organized, and wrote much of the legislation and conceptual groundwork for what Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and others are doing today. Called "pound for pound the most effective space organization on the planet" the Foundation is now in the hands of a new generation of outstanding young leaders who are working on the next step to creating an industrial space economy.

Chairman of the Board and Co Founder

2012 - 2017

Before Deep Space and Planetary Resources, the idea of space resources was not a "thing" - now it is. Deep Space Industries was one of two premiere space resources and technology company based at the NASA Ames Research facility in Silicon Valley, and a shop Luxembourg. Deep Space focused on a vision of human civilization expanding beyond the Earth, using the resources of space to enable a new renaissance and throwing open the gates for a positive future to new generations. The company, while working towards this vision, was grounded firmly in a serious and purposefully executed strategy being carried out by a team of the world's best experts in each area we approached. We engaged in several NASA contracts, and partnered with the government of Luxembourg on our first test spacecraft (Prospector X). Deep Space was acquired by Bradford Space Systems in 2017, but not before flying our water based propulsion systems on several spacecraft owned by Hawk Eye 360 - which are still in operation.

Cofounder

2010 - 2013

Co-Founded the TXA and worked with other co-Founders to help pass Texas' first commercial space legislation, a law designed to protect space carriers from unwarranted liability lawsuits.

Co-Founder/Executive Director

1996 - 2002

FINDS was a $25 million endowment with the goal of supporting activities that would help open the space frontier. We were able in our short time of existance to help ignite major changes and support critical work in different areas vital to the opening of space. Along with donations and support for several space organizations, among some of the projects we funded were: The Cheap Access to Space Prize ($200k), Laser launch research(Dr. Leik Myrabo), solar sail designs (Dr. Red Whittaker), beamed power research, electrodynamic tether studies(Joe Carroll/Vladimir Syrometnikov), the WATCH asteroid search group and conferences, Senate Space Roundtables(Commercial Space Planetary Defence and others), HE3 research(Dr. Larry Kulcinski/Dr. Harrison Schmidtt), asteroid processing studies(Dr. John Lewis/Dr. Mark Sonter), Return to the Moon conferences, providing the founding funds for the Mars Society (Bob Zubrin), Permission to Dream (George Whitesides) and many other projects. Our work also led to the short term take over of the Russian Space Station Mir as the world's first commercial space facility.

Founding Board Member

1994 - 1995

Was a founding BOD member of the XPrize.

Media Production

1987 - 1993

Produced 4 core and defining fundraising videos for the university, including the first/introductory piece used to help secure initial financing and support. Videos included and were narrated by Lauren Bacall, Arthur C. Clarke, Roddy McDowell and Marina Sirtis on the set of Star Trek - The Next Generation.