Visionary | Revolutionary | Founder | Speaker | Writer
Rick Tumlinson
“The Best opening keynote I have ever seen!”
Antony Benham – Chairman, The Mining Show Conference, Dubai
Welcome to the Revolution
Called one of the top space “Visionaries” on the planet, Rick is also considered to be a “Godfather” of the Space Revolution of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and a new generation of space pioneers. He helped coin the term “NewSpace,” founded the Venture Capital firm SpaceFund Inc., the activist Space Frontier Foundation, and his current not for profit, the thought leading EarthLight Foundation. His ideas and projects helped create the framework for the current move to open the High Frontier. He’s testified 6 times in front of the US Congress, and works with groups as diverse as Space Force and UN teams working to establish the rules for humans to live in space. From leading a team that took over the Mir Space station for a year to selling the first ticket for a private citizen to fly to the International Space Station and helping start the search for water ice on the Moon, Rick has helped set the course for our breakout into space. (He also hosts the New Worlds Conference and the Space Cowboy Ball in Austin, Texas.)
APOLOGIES – THIS SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION – MORE WITH RICK TO COME SOON!
Writings
Missing the moment history happens: The media and 'NewSpace'
While barely showing up in the montages of 2022 run by every media organization on the planet, last year, this year, and the next few will be seen as the beginning of what the Washington Post calls “The New Space Age.” (Of course, as one of the people who helped coin the term “NewSpace,” I prefer “NewSpace Age,” but I’ll take the win.)
Apollo 11 vs. Space Tourism (July, 2022)
This week we celebrate the anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first humans to step onto the moon. Meanwhile, as the federal space program that put them on the lunar surface dodders and sputters along, a new wave of humans are stepping out onto the space frontier, except this time they don’t work for the government. Why is it important? Who benefits? What’s the difference?
Billionaires and Space — The Right Race
As the billionaire space race heats up, it’s easy to get the wrong message. The media often frame it as an elite group of rich boys trying to literally one-up each other as they thrust themselves into the sky. They are. But what is missing from these reports is any understanding of what is really happening, why it is happening, and where it may lead us — all of us — not just them.
Space, Race, and Reality
Americans and people around the world protested after the murder of George Floyd. As one who has promoted the roles of women and other underrepresented groups in my events, and sometimes volunteers at a homeless food kitchen, I was able to nestle in my own self-congratulatory state of enlightenment. After all, what field is more socially progressive than space? We are the leading edge!
Space, Race, and Reality - Space.com
As a member of the space community — a field symbolizing the future as no other human activity does — I was convinced that I was too socially evolved to be prejudiced. Heck, we’ve been working the problem ever since Uhura started helping Captain Kirk save the Enterprise!
Private astronauts are not 'space tourists'
Sept. 15, 2021 the Inspiration IV mission launched into space. On board the privately operated SpaceX Dragon capsule was an all-civilian crew of culturally and socially blended people on a mission funded by a billionaire, designed to raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. None of them were tourists.
What Should We Call the Men and Women of Space Force?
In early 2020, I was invited by the U.S. government to a couple of workshops to help visualize future scenarios and strategies, which triggered a question in my mind: So what do you call members of the Space Force in all their varied roles?
How to Grow a Dragon - The Untold Story of the Space Revolution
In 1995 I called for all transport to the Space Station to be provided by commercial space companies before the House Space Sub-Committee. This month that dream is about to be realized, as SpaceX’s Dragon 2 capsule delivers 2 astronauts to the space station.
Videos
Documentaries Featuring Rick
Rick has been a part of the history of the NewSpace Revolution. From his working for the space hero and Godfather of the Revolution Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill, as described in “The High Frontier,” to helping lead that revolution – for example heading the private take over of the Russian Mir Space Station featured in the “Orphans of Apollo” he has been front and center in making history happen.
Welcome to the Revolution
Founded Projects
The Foundation was the first organization to take a stand against the old aerospace establishment and for opening the Frontier to everyone. It kick started the space revolution you see today, including coining the term “NewSpace”. It was the first organization to take on the NASA/aerospace establishment and laid the groundwork for private citizens and the private sector to take their place in the opening of space. Without the Foundation, there might not be a SpaceX and many of the other companies working to create a space economy. In 2021 Jeff Bezos awarded it with a $1 million dollar grant for its work on advocacy and inclusion in space.
One of the only Space Only VC funds in the world. Over $20 Million invested in 19 space companies.
Nobody stays ’til somebody pays. Rick Founded SpaceFund to engage Visionary investors with brilliant space entrepreneurs. “Reusable/regular space access, government support for private space development, and adoption of space as part of the terrestrial economy are creating a Space Industrial Revolution. SpaceFund focuses on culturally impactful, innovative, frontier enabling start ups beyond satellites and rockets, including in-space transport, communications, supply chain, energy and human factors.”
The light of Earth is unique in the universe. EarthLight is a not for profit that stands for humanity to save the planet and begin our expansion into space. ELF focuses on the higher level messages, concepts, culture of creating human communities in space.
This year ELF will be pushing for macro-space solutions to global warming, such as the EarthShade concept. ELF also supports other projects such as the New Worlds Conference as well as the Space Cowboy Ball, a “must attend” awards, costume and dance party in Austin.
New Worlds Conference
Rick started the New Worlds Conference to create a credible renaissance event as a “tribal campfire” for those serious about opening the High Frontier of space. NW features a space business plan competition, papers and discussions on the tech and engineering needed to live in space, as well as space art, culture and social issues.
The Space Cowboy Ball
Rick created the Space Cowboy Ball to honor the heroes opening the frontier and those inspiring the next generation to reach for the stars. A barbecue banquet, awards ceremony, costume ball and dance party/rave, the Ball has quickly become a must attend event for the “cool kids” of the space movement. Awards have gone to the best space educators, films and TV and leaders such as Jeff Bezos, Buzz Aldrin and others.
EarthLight Endowment
The EarthLight Endowment is a new start under ELF. Designed as a permanent fund to help under represented groups enter the space field. This new project is in its early stages, and we are looking for Visionary donors to help us launch an ever flowing source of help for those working on the Frontier.
Declaration for the Rights and Responsibilities of Humanity in the Universe
The Declaration is designed to establish First Principles that go beyond treaties, laws and policies to guarantee the rights of people in space – as well as their responsibilities.
2022 Time Square NYC Nasdaq
Got my pic on Times Square! I can check that off the box! TEDX Waterstreet 2022 treated we speakers amazingly well!
2022 Princess and Prince of Norway NYC
Princess Martha – Louise and Prince Durek at TEDX NYC in May. We had a great time and excellent conversation. A loving couple, and nice “folks.”
2022 Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto of Morocco
Honoured to have met Rabbi Pinto in NYC for an amazing dinner and private chat. A kind and gentle man.
2022 SXSW “Hidden No More” Panel
I created and produced “Hidden No More” at SXSW featuring Dr. Sian Proctor, Kim Macharia, Dr. Camille Alleyne & Lauren Lyons
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2014 Xavier Battelle – Prime Minister of Luxembourg
2016 Dr. Chiaki Mukai – First Japanese female astronaut
I met Dr. Mukai at the United Nations High Level Forum in Dubai in 2016.
2010 With Rod Rodenberry Los Angeles
In 2010 the Space Frontier Foundation presented the Star Trek franchise with a legacy award for it’s history of inspiring generations of dreamers to “boldly go.”
2016 Den Haag – Crossing Borders Conf.
2016 World Technology Awards
Honoured to win the World Techonology Award along with Craig Venterr of the Human Genome Project. Here with the awards founder.
2018 Outside #10 Downing St.
At the Founder’s Forum in London, they held their opening reception at this little place. A very patient Bobby!
2015 Cities in Space students
A great team at our New Worlds’ Cities in Space student desing contest in Austin.
2019 Space Force planning workshop Colorado Springs, Colorado
Honoured to be invited to one of the workshops leading up to the formation of Space Force.
2019 Near the Mexican border
The joke in this macho-looking shot is the tiny cactus in my hand. “This beast will not attack anyone else!” (It is now on my window sill.)
2016 Hello Tomorrow Summit Paris, France
Bezos-Space-Cowboy-Award-2018-1024×683
2017 Buzz Aldrin & Bob Zubrin
2014 Dr. John Lewis and Peg Lewis
2016 TEDX European Space Agency
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