Philip Hover-Smoot, CEO at Atlas Cup

In this episode we speak with Philip Hover-Smoot, CEO at Atlas Cup, about creating a new category of professional sport in space.Philip shares his path from aviation, law, and aerospace defence into the commercial space sector, and explains how Atlas Cup plans to bring satellite racing to low Earth orbit using existing spacecraft, propulsion, and mission operations technology.He breaks down the concept behind head-to-head satellite races, how teams can compete using their own platforms, and why racing creates a simple way to compare performance across propulsion systems and spacecraft design.The conversation also explores entrepreneurship in the space sector, the realities of building a startup, and why Philip believes space represents the next major frontier for commercial growth and technological experimentation.The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.