About SpaceDIRT

Building on Earth today, in space tomorrow

SpaceDIRT was founded in 2022 to develop the autonomous systems that resource development will need — first on Earth, then beyond it.

From our CEO

A Message from Our CEO

Shaun Riddell, Founder & CEO of SpaceDIRT, with an early SLED rover prototype in the workshop

Building on Earth today, and in space tomorrow.

I founded this company in 2022 to develop the technologies required for humanity to build in space. As we have seen in the “New Space” era for satellites, the ability to produce high-quality space equipment for commercial operations is not just possible, but highly profitable.

We are solving the same problem for resource exploration and development systems.

As we witness the rise of multiple heavy-lift reusable rocket systems, the opportunities for building serious infrastructure in space are upon us (think mining helium-3 or hotels on the Moon). To support this opportunity, we must develop fully autonomous systems that can drill and move production volumes of material in an economical and reliable way.

We are doing this by building Earth-based systems using a high-level architecture that can be adapted for space. We can move faster, learn quicker, and deliver products that help people on Earth before ultimately making their impact in space.

— Shaun Riddell
Founder & CEO, SpaceDIRT Inc.

What we value

Four pillars

Safety

Safety is the first constraint on every system we design — for operators, bystanders, and the equipment itself.

Iterative Design

We build, test, learn, and rebuild. Real hardware in real conditions teaches faster than any spec sheet.

Environment

Autonomous equipment lets us do difficult, hazardous work with a lighter footprint and fewer people in harm's way.

Equality & Diversity

We build a team where the best ideas win, drawn from the widest possible range of people and perspectives.