Oct 9, 2026 · 19 min · 9 segments
From SpaceX engineer to space investor: Bulent Altan, one of SpaceX's first hires, now leads Alpine Space Ventures. Backed by the European Investment Fund, Alpine Space's first fund invested in some…
Bulent AltanGuestMattHostSven Meyer BrunswickGuestthere's there's a big issue in in space right now about whether europe can stand up for itself if you like whether it can have its own launch and and all the other companies that we need Bullen, was that one of the reasons why you left SpaceX? You wanted to do this in Europe or you just want to live in Europe instead?
Yes, there is a part of me that loves the space industry so much that says no part of the world should not be not contributing to the space industry.
It's so... important uh that every uh every um every location does their part because it's an important industry and we know that global industries not just national ones grow a lot faster look at the semiconductor industry between uh between uh netherlands and taiwan and us how much work there is done in three different continents making these uh making the semiconductor industry possible.
I am absolutely convinced that the space industry has to be the same way, and Europe has to do also its part in the global space industry.
I think we should have European champions that serve the global space industry, or at least space tends to be a little bit divided between the East and the West because of strategic reasons.
At least that can be a Europe that is a very well-functioning partner of the space industry for the Western world.
We have already European companies in our portfolio, like BlackWave, that supply components on both sides of the Atlantic.
You know, there are people, of course, who say that if PLD or ESA, if they don't succeed, then, you know, it's a problem not just for launching from Europe, but it's a problem for all the satellite companies in Europe.
It's a problem for all the downstream companies because suddenly all the innovation dries up because they can't get their stuff up into space.
Do you think that Europe is now really a
point?
And to be fair, I think it's a global – well, once again, it's a global problem.
Today, when you look at the amount of launches being done in the Western world and you look at the amount of – mass that is being launched into space.
there's there's a big issue in in space right now about whether europe can stand up for itself if you like whether it can have its own launch and and all the other companies that we need Bullen, was that one of the reasons why you left SpaceX? You wanted to do this in Europe or you just want to live in Europe instead?
Yes, there is a part of me that loves the space industry so much that says no part of the world should not be not contributing to the space industry.
It's so... important uh that every uh every um every location does their part because it's an important industry and we know that global industries not just national ones grow a lot faster look at the semiconductor industry between uh between uh netherlands and taiwan and us how much work there is done in three different continents making these uh making the semiconductor industry possible.
I am absolutely convinced that the space industry has to be the same way, and Europe has to do also its part in the global space industry.
I think we should have European champions that serve the global space industry, or at least space tends to be a little bit divided between the East and the West because of strategic reasons.
At least that can be a Europe that is a very well-functioning partner of the space industry for the Western world.
We have already European companies in our portfolio, like BlackWave, that supply components on both sides of the Atlantic.
You know, there are people, of course, who say that if PLD or ESA, if they don't succeed, then, you know, it's a problem not just for launching from Europe, but it's a problem for all the satellite companies in Europe.
It's a problem for all the downstream companies because suddenly all the innovation dries up because they can't get their stuff up into space.
Do you think that Europe is now really a
point?
And to be fair, I think it's a global – well, once again, it's a global problem.
Today, when you look at the amount of launches being done in the Western world and you look at the amount of – mass that is being launched into space.
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