Rick Tumlinson
NewSpace pioneer, commercial space architect, and visionary behind the modern space revolution.
Why book Rick Tumlinson for your next event
- Rick Tumlinson helped shape the commercial space industry and inspired a generation of entrepreneurs redefining humanity’s future in space.
- From policy to private enterprise, Rick combines visionary thinking with firsthand experience from decades at the center of the NewSpace movement.
- An engaging speaker on innovation, leadership, sustainability, and humanity’s next frontier beyond Earth and traditional boundaries.
Non-binding request for Rick Tumlinson
Architect of the commercial space industry and one of the defining voices of NewSpace
Rick Tumlinson is one of the most influential figures behind the commercial space industry and the global NewSpace movement. Known for helping open the door for private space exploration, he has worked alongside pioneers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and innovators who transformed space from a government-driven effort into a thriving commercial frontier. His work has influenced everyone from emerging startups to some of the most recognized names in modern space enterprise. With decades of experience spanning entrepreneurship, policy, media, and advocacy, Rick delivers inspiring and thought-provoking keynotes on innovation, leadership, the future of humanity, and the role space plays in solving challenges here on Earth.
Book Rick Tumlinson for your event
Rick Tumlinson is widely recognized as one of the key architects behind the commercial space industry and the NewSpace revolution. For decades, he has stood at the center of the movement that transformed humanity’s relationship with space — helping shift exploration beyond government agencies and into the hands of entrepreneurs, innovators, and private enterprise.
His vision and advocacy helped inspire an entirely new generation of space companies and pioneers. Today, many of the breakthroughs shaping the modern space economy can trace their roots back to the ideas, movements, and initiatives Rick helped launch and champion. Frequently described as one of the movement’s foremost visionaries, he has spent his career turning ambitious ideas into real-world action.
Rick Tumlinson is an exceptional keynote speaker for organizations seeking fresh perspectives on innovation, leadership, future thinking, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and the human drive to explore beyond limitations.
A driving force behind the NewSpace revolution
Throughout his career, Rick has played a defining role in building the foundation of the modern commercial space sector. He was deeply involved in efforts that helped open the industry to private participation and commercial opportunities long before it became mainstream.
He led the groundbreaking MirCorp initiative, the first effort to commercialize the Russian Mir space station, and signed the first private astronaut to visit the International Space Station. These milestones helped redefine what private individuals and businesses could achieve in space.
Rick has also testified before the United States Congress six times, influencing conversations around national space policy, commercial development, and the future direction of exploration. His impact extends across both public and private sectors, helping shape programs connected to NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and broader international space initiatives.
As a founding board member of the XPRIZE, Rick helped support one of the world’s most influential innovation platforms, encouraging bold technological breakthroughs and entrepreneurial solutions.
Entrepreneur, founder, and innovator
Rick Tumlinson has founded and launched numerous pioneering organizations and ventures that pushed the boundaries of what was considered possible.
Among them is Orbital Outfitters, the first commercial space suit company, created to support the growing private spaceflight sector. He also co-founded Deep Space Industries, an early leader focused on asteroid resources and the future of off-world industry and exploration.
His entrepreneurial work reflects a broader philosophy: that humanity’s future depends on expanding beyond Earth while creating technologies and industries that benefit life on our planet today.
Rick also founded SpaceFund VC, EarthLight Foundation, New Worlds, and the iconic Space Cowboy Ball. Through these initiatives, he continues to connect investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, policymakers, and visionaries shaping the future of space and innovation.
Perspectives that connect humanity and technology
What makes Rick Tumlinson especially compelling as a speaker is his ability to connect technological advancement with human purpose. While he is a strong advocate for enterprise and innovation, he is equally known for his humanistic and environmental perspectives.
Rather than viewing space as an escape from Earth, Rick presents it as a pathway toward protecting humanity, expanding opportunity, and inspiring global cooperation. His talks often explore how exploration drives progress, how bold thinking transforms industries, and why humanity benefits when people dare to pursue ambitious visions.
Audiences appreciate his ability to combine big-picture thinking with personal storytelling, historical insight, and practical lessons from decades spent at the forefront of change.
Topics frequently include:
- The future of the commercial space industry
- Innovation and disruptive thinking
- Leadership during transformative change
- Entrepreneurship and visionary execution
- Sustainability and humanity’s future
- The role of space in solving global challenges
- Building industries that do not yet exist
- Inspiration, exploration, and human potential
Author, media voice, and thought leader
In addition to his entrepreneurial and policy work, Rick has become one of the most recognized voices in the global conversation about space and humanity’s future.
His opinion pieces and editorials have appeared in Space News, Space.com, Scientific American, and many other publications. Through decades of writing and advocacy, he has helped influence public conversations surrounding exploration, technology, policy, and the long-term future of civilization.
Rick is also the host of the Space Revolution podcast on iHeart Radio, where he interviews innovators, leaders, and changemakers shaping the next era of exploration and technological progress.
His book, Why Space? The Purpose of People, explores the deeper mission behind his life’s work and presents a compelling argument for why exploration matters far beyond rockets and technology. The book reflects the same perspective audiences experience on stage: inspiring, thoughtful, forward-looking, and deeply human.
An inspiring keynote speaker on the future
Booking Rick Tumlinson means bringing in a speaker who has not simply observed the future of space and innovation — he has helped build it.
With his unique combination of entrepreneurial experience, policy influence, visionary leadership, and human-centered thinking, Rick delivers keynote presentations that inspire audiences to think bigger, challenge limitations, and embrace the opportunities of transformative change.
Whether speaking to corporate leaders, innovation teams, universities, governments, investors, or global conferences, Rick Tumlinson leaves audiences energized by the possibilities ahead and motivated to help shape the future themselves.
Keynotes
Keynote by Rick Tumlinson:
The Space Revolution
A 45–60 minute, highly visual and auditory journey through the forces reshaping humanity’s future in space. Rick takes audiences behind the headlines to reveal how we arrived at this moment—where billionaires and private companies are driving the opening of the High Frontier.
He explores the real motivations of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and other pioneers you rarely hear about in the media. What’s truly at stake? What happens if we fail? And what extraordinary possibilities await if we succeed?
Keynote by Rick Tumlinson:
Why the Moon?
A 45–60 minute deep dive into the real reasons humanity is returning to the Moon. Far beyond flags and footprints, Rick reveals how the Moon is the gateway to the solar system—our training ground, fuel depot, and launchpad for Mars and beyond.
He explores why China, the U.S., and private companies are racing to stake their claim, what resources and opportunities lie hidden there, and how the choices we make now will shape not just the lunar frontier, but the destiny of humanity itself.
Keynote by Rick Tumlinson:
Why Space? The Purpose of People
Based on Rick’s new book, this 45–60 minute talk is both personal and visionary. He takes audiences on a journey from the first humans looking up at the stars to today’s breakthroughs, asking the ultimate question: Why are we here, and why must we go? It’s a powerful exploration of how opening the High Frontier can give humanity a grand purpose, and how each of us can discover our own purpose in the process.
Keynote by Rick Tumlinson:
The Future of Humanity in Space
A sweeping look at what’s coming next—from commercial space stations and lunar settlements to asteroid mining and the first steps toward Mars. Rick explains how these efforts will transform business, culture, and even what it means to be human. It’s a clear-eyed but inspiring map of the next 20, 50, and 100 years—what’s possible, what’s probable, and what’s up to us.
Keynote by Rick Tumlinson:
Purpose & the High Frontier
A keynote designed to inspire. Rick shares his personal journey—from asthmatic Texas kid to rebel space revolutionary—and connects it to humanity’s larger story of expansion and discovery. This talk moves beyond rockets and policy into meaning and destiny: why space matters not just technically or economically, but spiritually and culturally. It leaves audiences with a sense of awe, responsibility, and purpose.
Keynote by Rick Tumlinson:
AI and the High Frontier
A provocative session exploring how artificial intelligence and space exploration are converging. From mission planning to autonomous spacecraft, AI is becoming a partner in pioneering.
Rick discusses how these “children of humanity” will help us settle the solar system—and raises the deeper questions of what happens when our creations begin to explore, evolve, and perhaps dream alongside us.
Keynote by Rick Tumlinson:
Permission to Dream: How Science Fiction Shaped My Life
From an asthmatic kid in Texas sneaking paperbacks under the covers to a man helping open the frontier those books envisioned, Rick traces the profound influence of science fiction on his life. Through the voices of Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, and O’Neill, he found models of courage, morality, and purpose—and the audacity to invent himself in their image.
This talk is both deeply personal and universally inspiring, showing how the stories we tell don’t just entertain—they empower us to dream bigger, live braver, and reshape the world.
Keynote by Rick Tumlinson:
How to Be a Man (of the future)
Drawing on a life lived on the edge—from a blue-collar family that was half Brit and half cowboy soldier grit to New York counterculture to the frontlines of the Space Revolution and billionaire buddies building rocketships—Rick unpacks what it really means to be a man today. Not the tired clichés of toughness or dominance, but the deeper call to courage, vulnerability, purpose, and service.
This is a raw, no-holds-barred, funny, and challenging talk that resonates with anyone navigating identity, leadership, and legacy in a rapidly changing world.
Keynote by Rick Tumlinson:
Un-Tiring: Breaking the Brainwash of “Old”
At 60-something, Rick is busier than ever—writing books, building ventures, raising a daughter, and helping open the High Frontier. In this energizing talk, he dismantles the myth that aging means slowing down.
With stories from recovery, reinvention, and revolution, Rick shares how to un-tire: to reject the programming that says your best days are behind you, and instead reframe age as fuel for wisdom, daring, and impact.
