Jim Cantrell is an American mechanical engineer and entrepreneur, renowned as a founding member and the first VP of Business Development at SpaceX, as well as CEO and co-founder of Phantom Space Corporation, a company focused on affordable space transportation through mass-produced rockets.

Expect to learn Jim’s first encounter with Elon Musk, what the early days of space were really like, and advice for young entrepreneurs who want to make a space startup.

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Check out Jim’s work

Website: https://www.jimcantrell.com

Phantom Space: https://phantomspace.com

X: https://x.com/jamesncantrell?lang=en

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00:00 Meeting Elon Musk: The Unexpected Call

01:31 First Encounter: From Utah to Palo Alto

03:12 Journey to Russia: The Early SpaceX Missions

05:32 Challenges with Russian Partnerships

06:53 The Birth of SpaceX: Building the Falcon 1

07:58 Lessons from SpaceX: Successes and Failures

11:36 Phantom Space: A New Vision

22:42 The Importance of Frugality in Space Startups

25:00 Future of Space: Sci-Fi Concepts Becoming Reality

26:53 Reflections and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs