Guest: Rex Ridenoure; Topics: Ecliptic Enterprises business products and updates, smallsats, small business management & more. Please direct all comments and questions regarding specific Space Show programs & guest(s) to the Space Show blog which is part of archived program on our website, www.thespaceshow.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm.
We welcomed Red Ridenoure, CEO of Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation, back to the show for updates and more. During the first segment of our 1 hour 42 minute discussion, Rex focused on providing us with current news and updates for Ecliptic. We talked about new products they had and were bringing on line, especially in the small satellite and cubesat markets. These products included sensors and other new electronics. He mentioned company spinoffs, development projects as well as current projects. In addition, we talked about their LightSail A project with The Planetary Society plus their latest project soon to be launched, LightSail 2.
Rex introduced us to other topics. One was the spinning lander. You don't want to miss this discussion. Furthermore, Rex talked about the growth in the space electronics industry and what Ecliptic was doing to capitalize on this growth and industry. Earlier in the segment, he had much to say about their classic product, RocketCam plus the new variations on it and markets that they were tapping into and wanting to reach.
In the second segment, Rex talked at length about the challenges in growing and managing a small entrepreneurial space business once it left the startup phase. Rex offered us valuable insights into managing and a growing a business once it entered into this stage of its development. He talked about marketing, branding, the need for scalability and the challenges in working with big companies, the government, and private businesses. One of the areas receiving lots of attention in this discussion was the need for the company to be paid on a timely basis and what it took to assure that happening given the larger companies and sometimes the government don't pay on schedules supportive to the needs of the small business. Don't miss what Rex said about this and the "tricks of the trade" that he has been compelled to use in past circumstances.
ITAR was discussed in some detail. Rex said that had recently asked the State Dept. if certain Ecliptic products were now exempt because it was not clear from reading the regulations. You definitely want to hear what Rex said about ITAR and ITAR reform.
A student asked Rex about starting her business in California or going elsewhere given she had heard that California was so business unfriendly expensive. In responding to this listener, Rex talked about the importance of having a good labor pool for the company so that a quality management team could be assembled. He spoke to the need for a quality management team many times over in our program and stressed it again in his response to the listener. Rex named several other states and cities that had access to quality skilled space labor. Eventually he said that having access to quality and skilled labor was more important than the added cost and regulatory burden for doing business in California so he suggested the student start her business in California.
Before our program ended, Rex provided us with an assessment of both commercial space and NewSpace for the balance of 2017. He said this was the most exciting time of his long lasting career of 39 years. The bottom line: He was very bullish for 2017! Listen to all of what he said on this topic.
Please post your comments & questions on The Space Show blog for this show. Check out Ecliptic at www.eclipticenterprises.com. You can reach Rex through me, by posting a comment or question on the blog, or checking the Contacts page on the Ecliptic website.
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