On Episode 138 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Scott Tibbitts, who spun $7 of hardware store parts into a 150-person, multimillion-dollar space company making tech for NASA that allowed deep space probes, starting with the Cassini mission to Saturn, to operate in the harsh environment of the outer solar system.

Scott's tiny actuator replaced expensive, failure-prone explosive squibs with a device that could be tested (you can't really test something that goes *bang*), cycled, and tried again if it didn't work the first time. And it all started with his work at a water heater company and a few dozen cold calls that ended with one to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

There's much more to this story--including some intriguing advice for entrepreneurs--but you'll have to tune in to learn more! See you there.

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Finally, did you know you can launch your own SpaceX rocket? Model rocket maker Estes' stunning scale model of a Falcon 9 rocket that you can pick up now. The launchable model is a detailed recreation of the Falcon 9 and retails for $149.99. You can save 10% by using the code IN-COLLECTSPACE at checkout, courtesy of our partners collectSPACE.com.

This Week in Space covers the new space age. Every Friday we take a deep dive into a fascinating topic. What's happening with the new race to the moon and other planets? When will SpaceX really send people to Mars?

Join Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik from Space.com as they tackle those questions and more each week on Friday afternoons. You can subscribe today on your favorite podcatcher.