A Conversation with Rocket Lab’s Chief Engineer of Space Systems, Grant Bonin

Rocket Lab's in-house designed and built Photon satellite platform. Credit: Rocket Lab.

Grant Bonin is a driven space systems engineer, so much so he doesn’t mind the commute between California and New Zealand, which he does at least once a month.

My guest today on the SpaceQ podcast is Grant Bonin, Chief Engineer, Space Systems at Rocket Lab. Grant is making his second appearance on the SpaceQ podcast. The last time was in the spring of 2018 when he was the Chief Technology Officer at Deep Space Industries (DSI).

His last job at DSI had potential, but even he will admit that the companies goal of mining resources in space was too far in the future for a business plan that relied in part on swaying investors to take the plunge in a meaningful way.

He took some time off after leaving DSI to think through what he wanted to do and where he wanted to work. Finding a job would not be a problem. Grant is not only a skilled engineer, he is passionate about his is work, and I would say has some visionary concepts.

He had choices in where he wanted to work, including with at least one very well funded company, but ultimately he selected Rocket Lab.

In today’s podcast we find out more about Grant’s departure from Deep Space Industries and his current activities at Rocket Lab including their, and his work, on the new Photon small satellite platform.

And for those hoping Rocket Lab would consider launching from Canada in the future if there was a spaceport, I’m afraid that’s not in the plans, at least not for the foreseeable future.

Listen in.

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About Marc Boucher

Boucher is an entrepreneur, writer, editor & publisher. He is the founder of SpaceQ Media Inc. and CEO and co-founder of SpaceRef Interactive LLC. Boucher has 20+ years working in various roles in the space industry and a total of 30 years as a technology entrepreneur including creating Maple Square, Canada's first internet directory and search engine.

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