Bob Richards is a commercial space entrepreneur with roots in the music and entertainment industry. He is a Founder of the International Space University, Singularity University, SEDS, the Space Generation Foundation, Odyssey Moon, Moon Express, Artemis Music and PlanetaryX, where he serves as Executive Chairman and Chief Science Officer. His terrestrial business ventures have spanned music and entertainment, digital media, retail, hospitality, automotive, communications and publishing.
Bob studied aerospace and industrial engineering at Ryerson University; physics and astronomy at the University of Toronto; and space science at Cornell University where he became special assistant to Carl Sagan. As a student Bob co-founded Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), the Space Generation Foundation and International Space University.
Bob founded Canada Space Technologies and established Canada’s first commercial launch company. He led science and technology development for Canada’s participation in NASA’s 2007 Phoenix Mars Lander and OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return missions. Bob curated and co-chaired the 2005 International Lunar Conference, gathering over 300 global scientists, policy makers and space agency officials to address the scientific and economic potential of the Moon.
In 2008 Bob joined Peter Diamandis, Ray Kurzweil and other leading thinkers in the founding of the Singularity University, an institution based at the NASA Research Park in Silicon Valley dedicated to preparing humanity for accelerating technological change.
In 2010 Bob founded Moon Express to pursue commercial missions to the Moon supporting science and commerce. Bob has testified to the US Congress on the value of the Moon and the importance of the Outer Space Treaty and has supported UN debates on international cooperation in lunar development.
In 2019 Bob co-founded Artemis Music to support independent music and the Artemis Space Network to enable space-based music and entertainment events and ventures.
In 2020 Bob co-founded PlanetaryX to support the well being of people and planet through the development of a nature-positive global economy.
Bob is a recipient of the K.E. Tsiolkovsky Medal (Russia, 1995), the Space Frontier “Vision to Reality” Award (USA , 1994), the Arthur C. Clarke Commendation (Sri Lanka, 1990) and the Aviation & Space Technology Laurel (USA, 1988). He is a contributing author of “Blueprint for Space” (Smithsonian Institution 1992); “Return to the Moon” (Apogee Books 2005) and “The Farthest Shore” (ISU Press 2009). In 2005 Bob received a Doctorate of Space Achievement (honoris causa) from the International Space University for “distinguished accomplishments in support of humanity’s exploration and use of space.”
‘Mission to Planet Earth’ is a themed macro-talk connecting the health of people and planet and opening the aperture on planet-positive opportunities for new unicorns and lunacorns.
