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:
- Why Astra’s SPAC-era promises didn’t survive contact with reality
- What really went wrong with Rocket 3 and how much of that falls on Kemp
- The decision to take the company private and buy it back for pennies on the dollar
- How Astra raised $80M, and its attempt to raise another $100M+
- The quiet success of its satellite propulsion business
- Rocket 4, and whether this time is actually different
- How Kemp is repositioning Astra as a mobile, defense-aligned launch platform
• 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.
- Payload: www.payloadspace.com
- Ignition: www.ignition-news.com
- Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com
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