EP 61 — Agile’s Chris Pearson on Mastering Space Propulsion with 3D Printing & Test Innovation

The race to protect America's orbital assets is accelerating, and Agile Space Industries is providing the engines needed for rapid spacecraft maneuverability. In this episode of DIB Innovators, CEO Chris Pearson walks Dave through how decades-old chemical propulsion technology is finding new relevance as Space Force openly prepares for potential conflict in space. Through vertical integration combining additive manufacturing and in-house test facilities, Agile has achieved 50% annual growth, turning a garage operation into a company with $42 million in backlog.

 

Chris also shares his journey from UK space engineer to Colorado-based entrepreneur, building multiple successful companies before taking the helm at Agile. His insights on scaling hardware businesses through strategic funding combinations — from non-dilutive SBIR grants to strategic investments from defense primes — provide a masterclass in defense technology commercialization. As Agile expands with a new facility in Tulsa, Chris also offers candid perspectives on managing the cultural transition from innovative startup to production-focused manufacturer while maintaining the speed that gives them their edge in the market. 

 

Topics discussed:

 

• How national security space requirements have shifted from satellite deployment to preparing for potential orbital conflict, creating demand for rapid-maneuverability propulsion.
• The technical limitations of electric propulsion for military applications, with chemical propulsion providing the immediate thrust needed for threat response and evasive maneuvers.
• Leveraging additive manufacturing to condense propulsion system development cycles from months to days by printing complex. geometries impossible with traditional subtractive manufacturing
• Creating vertical integration through in-house test facilities that eliminate industry bottlenecks and enable rapid iteration between design and qualification testing.
• Strategic capital raising approach combining non-dilutive funding, strategic investment, and commercial revenue to maintain favorable terms.
• Balancing the triple funding strategy of government investment, commercial partner funding, and internal R&D to accelerate commercialization while maintaining IP ownership.
• Managing organizational evolution from garage operation to volume manufacturer while retaining innovation speed and preventing analysis paralysis.
• Building transparent customer relationships around risk management for first-of-kind space technologies, rather than promising unrealistic certainty in performance.
• Diversifying from component supply to full propulsion systems and launch logistics services to capture more of the rapidly expanding space operations value chain.