When the launch was successful, it was a great relief rather than elation, especially after proving the systems with subsequent astronaut missions.

In 2008, both SpaceX and Tesla were facing dire situations. SpaceX had failed its third launch in a row, and Tesla was going bankrupt. It was a nerve-wracking time, but we managed to secure a contract with NASA to resupply the space station, which was a company saver.

Even if I might lose everything with SpaceX, I believed we could still make progress and that another company could continue the work if we failed.

Experiencing the first crewed flight of New Shepard was emotionally powerful, especially seeing the nervousness of family saying goodbye.

We realized we would never feel ready to launch, so we set a date and worked hard for four months to prepare for it.

I had to make tough decisions during a crisis, including shrinking the team and raising funds, which ultimately extended our runway and allowed us to launch successfully despite market challenges.

I learned that if we had waited to launch, we would have wasted time fixing things that didn't need fixing, and I'm glad we launched quickly.

The SpaceX launch of human beings to orbit on May 30th, 2020, marked the beginning of a new era in human space exploration, providing hope during a challenging time in history.

Astranis built their first prototype satellite quickly and successfully showcased it at demo day, which became a key example for new founders on what can be achieved in three months with ambition and hard work.