Asteroid Mining to Orbital Gas Stations: How Megan Crawford Built Space Fund’s Infrastructure Empire

🎙️ Megan Crawford: From Childhood Space Dreams to Space Fund Success – Building the New Space Economy

In this fascinating episode, Megan Crawford, co-founder and managing partner at Space Fund, shares her remarkable journey from a three-year-old throwing tantrums because her Barbie didn’t fit in her space shuttle to becoming a leading venture capitalist in the commercial space industry. Through personal stories of career pivots, single motherhood challenges, and entrepreneurial resilience, Megan reveals how she’s revolutionizing space investment with a 0% failure rate across 21 portfolio companies. From asteroid mining ventures to on-orbit manufacturing, Megan demonstrates how the “new space” economy is creating unlimited investment opportunities while making life better on Earth.

✨ Key Insights You’ll Learn:

• Career pivot from fighter pilot dreams to space entrepreneurship after military barriers

• Building Space Fund from $1M friends-and-family round to $100M Fund 3 target

• New space vs traditional aerospace: startup mentality transforming the industry

• Space infrastructure investments: orbital refueling, manufacturing, and data centers

• Portfolio company success: 0% failure rate vs 90% industry standard after 7 years

• On-orbit manufacturing advantages: perfect crystal formation in zero gravity

• Commercial space stations replacing ISS with private manufacturing capabilities

• Asteroid mining economics: water ice harvesting for rocket fuel supply chains

• Women in space representation: growing from 11% to needed 51% for multi-planetary future

• Single motherhood while building venture capital firm and exited space startup

🌟 Megan’s Key Mentors & Influences:

• MBA Career Counselor: Provided pivotal advice about following passion and discovering space business opportunities NASA Technology Transfer Office: Early internship exposure to commercial space ecosystem development Dad as Entrepreneur: Inspired business mindset and provided initial family funding support Former Space Startup Experience: Deep Space Industries exit providing operational credibility with founders Support Network of Friends/Family: Essential village for single motherhood and career success Portfolio Company CEOs: 21 entrepreneurs teaching lessons about technical founder transitions and operational scaling

👉 Don’t miss this inspiring conversation about space entrepreneurship, venture capital innovation, and how personal adversity fuels professional excellence in the final frontier.