Solving the Space Debris Crisis ft. Troy Morris

Written By Ryan Morrison
 
 

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About Troy Morris

  • Co-Founder and CEO of Kall Morris Inc. (KMI), a space logistics company designing technology to capture and relocate space assets

  • Previously led multi-state business units at Snap-on Tools, generating $15-17 million in annual revenue

  • Academic background in Psychology and Behavior Analysis from Northern Michigan University

  • Regular speaker at industry, academic, and government events on space logistics and sustainability

 

From Illinois Cornfields to Northern Michigan

Troy Morris didn't grow up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but he found his way there and never looked back. Growing up in the cornfields of Illinois, Troy was the kid with Buzz Lightyear shirts in his closet and space toys on his desk. His family spent summers in Florida, and while other kids dreamed of Disney World, Troy had one request: "I want to go see a rocket launch."

Despite multiple attempts, the launches were always scrubbed or circumstances intervened. Still, the passion never faded. Troy considered becoming an astronaut, but a few realities set in—his family's height genetics, his self-assessed math and physics skills, and the sobering impact of the Columbia disaster in 2003.

"That was a shock to my young space-loving world," Troy recalls. "I was aware of the early experiments and the early situations that happened with human flight, and that was a shock to me of what else can I do? What else can I give back to the world?"

The dream shifted from astronaut to something else, but the childhood toy from his sixth birthday remained on his mantle. That burning passion for space would eventually find its outlet in an unexpected way.

The Dorm Room Origin Story

The seeds of Kall Morris Inc. were planted in the residence halls of Northern Michigan University. Troy's younger brother Austin—now KMI's Director of Engineering—introduced him to his roommate Adam. But this wasn't a typical college introduction.

"Some people are like, are we going to talk about girls? Are we going to talk about where to go for a drink? They were discussing the rocket equation when I walked in," Troy laughs.

For those unfamiliar, the rocket equation is fundamental to understanding how humans get to space. But Austin and Adam weren't studying it for a class—they were optimizing their gameplay of Kerbal Space Program, a space flight simulator.

That August meeting in the dorms sparked a decade-long collaboration. Austin was building race cars and would go on to build helicopters. Adam had a mind for ones and zeros that made complex programming look effortless. Troy brought the human side—business acumen, behavioral insights, and the ability to translate technical concepts for different audiences.

"Years before we actually founded a company together or even thought to, we were already working together on projects in school," Troy explains. "That great way of iron sharpening iron at university."

 

Why Space Debris Threatens Everything

After graduation, the three friends scattered—two to the East Coast, Troy to Chicago. They were successful in their respective careers, but as Troy puts it, "Politely, this sucks. Can we get back to Michigan? How can we do that?"

The answer came in the summer of 2019. SpaceX rockets were landing instead of exploding. Rideshare launches were making space access more affordable. Universities were launching satellites as college projects—something previously impossible at that scale.

During weekend conversations and after-work discussions, the three friends recognized a fundamental shift happening in aerospace. As launch costs decreased and access democratized, what goes into space would proliferate dramatically. They asked themselves: what does that do?

Every exciting possibility they explored—space hotels, space elevators, asteroid mining, any grand vision from their video game sessions—came back to one critical bottleneck: space debris.

"You can't get to Star Trek if you can't get off the planet," Troy explains. "If we don't solve these lethal collisions that happen just above our planet, it doesn't matter what you want to build."

They searched for who was solving the space debris problem. No one was.

On November 22, 2019, they incorporated Kall Morris Inc.

The space debris crisis is more severe than most people realize. There are approximately 36,000 tracked objects larger than 10 centimeters in orbit. However, there are an estimated 130 million objects between one millimeter and one centimeter—pieces too small to track but large enough to cause catastrophic damage.

At orbital velocities, even a paint chip can penetrate a spacecraft. A collision between two large objects creates thousands of new debris pieces, each capable of causing further collisions in a cascading effect known as Kessler Syndrome—a scenario where Earth orbit becomes unusable.

"Space debris was the first thing we could have to solve," Troy emphasizes. "But from there, what we do is collect and relocate assets in orbit. Think of us as tow trucks for satellites."

 

Building KMI: From Bootstrap to $5M+ Funded

KMI started as a bootstrapped operation with three founders who believed in the mission. The company has since grown to over 20 personnel and secured more than $5 million in funding by 2023.

Troy describes the early customer discovery process as a masterclass in market validation. "We spent 60 days just calling people, asking variations of: Do you have this problem? How bad is it? Would you pay for a solution?"

The team deliberately avoided pitching their specific solution. They focused entirely on understanding the problem space, letting potential customers guide them toward what the market actually needed.

The conversations revealed clear categories of pain points:

Space Operations Companies: Satellite operators who need their assets repositioned for operational efficiency or to avoid collisions.

Defense and National Security: Organizations concerned about protecting critical space infrastructure from debris and potential adversarial actions.

Insurance Companies: Entities bearing financial risk from satellite failures and collisions.

Future Space Infrastructure: Anyone planning long-term space operations who needs a cleaner orbital environment.

"We talked to folks at SpaceX, at NASA, at insurance companies, defense contractors, satellite operators—anyone who touched space," Troy recalls. "And what we found was that the problem was real, it was expensive, and nobody had a good solution."

This validation gave the team confidence to pursue funding. Their pitch wasn't just about technology—it was about a verified market need with quantifiable economic impact.

 

Lessons from Corporate Leadership

Before founding KMI, Troy spent years leading multi-state business units at Snap-on Tools, contributing to approximately $15-17 million in annual revenue. This experience in critical industries—where failure isn't an option—shaped his approach to building a deep-tech startup.

"The sales and operations principles from Snap-on Tools translate directly to what we do at KMI," Troy explains. "You're selling to people who need reliability, who need to trust that what you're building will work when it matters most."

Key lessons Troy brought from corporate to startup:

Performance Management: At Snap-on, Troy earned "Circle of Honor" status for exceeding annual sales targets. He applies the same rigor to setting and tracking metrics at KMI, ensuring the team has clear goals and accountability.

Customer-Centric Problem Solving: In critical industries, customers don't buy features—they buy solutions to expensive problems. Troy uses this lens to guide product development and business strategy.

Building Trust Through Execution: In both tools and space technology, reputation is everything. Troy emphasizes delivering on commitments and building long-term relationships over short-term wins.

Revenue Discipline: Managing revenue-producing teams taught Troy to balance growth ambitions with operational efficiency—critical for a capital-intensive space startup.

"When you're managing teams in industries where someone's life might depend on the tool they're using, you learn to take responsibility seriously," Troy reflects. "That mindset is essential when you're building technology that operates in space."

 

The Psychology of Space Entrepreneurship

Troy's academic background in psychology and behavior analysis from Northern Michigan University might seem like an unusual foundation for a space logistics company. But he credits this training with shaping his approach to leadership, team design, and decision-making.

"How a degree in psychology and behavior analysis informs leadership in a technical startup environment is fascinating," Troy explains. "It's understanding how people make decisions, how teams function under pressure, how to communicate complex ideas to different audiences."

This behavioral lens influences several aspects of KMI's operations:

Team Structure: Troy thinks carefully about how different personalities and skill sets complement each other. He considers cognitive load, decision-making patterns, and communication styles when building teams.

Stakeholder Communication: Whether speaking to technical experts, government officials, or investors, Troy adapts his message based on his audience's knowledge, concerns, and decision-making frameworks.

Risk Assessment: Behavior analysis provides frameworks for understanding how people evaluate and respond to risk—crucial when asking customers to trust a new technology in the unforgiving environment of space.

Organizational Culture: Troy applies behavioral principles to create feedback loops, reward systems, and team dynamics that reinforce the company's values and mission.

"Being able to understand the human side—how people respond to incentives, how they process information, how they make decisions under uncertainty—that's been invaluable," Troy says. "At the end of the day, we're not just building technology. We're building a company of people, and we're selling to people."

 

Customer Development in the Space Industry

One of the most valuable insights from Troy's journey is how KMI approached customer development in an emerging market. The space logistics industry didn't exist when they started—they had to help create it.

"We had to educate the market while simultaneously validating that they had the problem we thought they had," Troy explains.

The team's approach was methodical:

  1. Problem Validation: Spent 60 days calling potential customers without pitching solutions, just understanding problems

  2. Customer Segmentation: Identified distinct customer categories with different pain points and priorities

  3. Iterative Refinement: Used feedback to refine their understanding of the market and adjust their value proposition

  4. Ecosystem Building: Recognized that solving space debris requires coordination across commercial, government, and international stakeholders

Troy emphasizes that different customer segments have very different priorities:

Commercial Operators: Focus on operational efficiency, collision avoidance, and extending satellite lifespan.

Defense Customers: Prioritize protecting critical national security assets and maintaining space superiority.

Civil Agencies: Balance scientific objectives with sustainability and regulatory compliance.

Insurance Companies: Want to reduce liability and better assess risk.

"Understanding these different motivations and speaking to each audience in their language has been crucial," Troy notes. "The same technology solves different problems for different customers."

 

The Future of Space Logistics

KMI's vision extends far beyond just removing debris. Troy describes the company as building the infrastructure for the next generation of space operations.

"We're in conversations to have space stations—not visiting NASA's or someone else's, but our own with partners—to collect assets in space and recycle them, refurbish them, or refuel them," Troy reveals. "Think gas stations in space."

This broader vision encompasses several capabilities:

Asset Relocation: Moving satellites that are functional but not where they need to be operationally.

Collision Avoidance: Clearing debris from critical orbital paths before collisions occur.

Life Extension: Refueling or servicing satellites to extend their operational life.

Recycling and Refurbishment: Capturing defunct satellites and repurposing their components in orbit.

Infrastructure Development: Building the orbital facilities and logistics networks to support sustained space operations.

The company is working with commercial operators, defense contractors, NASA, and international partners. Recent developments include conversations with the International Space Station program and demonstrations of their capture technology.

"Space debris was the first problem we had to solve, but from there what we do is collect and relocate assets in orbit," Troy explains. "The market is broader than just debris removal—it's about making space operations more efficient, sustainable, and safe."

 

KMI's Vision for 2080

When asked about his long-term vision, Troy offers a specific and grounded prediction: "By December 31st, 2080, we have folks on Mars on purpose and they have the ability and function to come back."

It's a timeline that might surprise those expecting wild optimism from a space entrepreneur. Troy deliberately chose 2080—still within his lifetime if he's "fairly old by then"—because he believes in being realistic rather than merely hopeful.

"I would love to eat these words and four years later we're doing something crazy," Troy admits. "But for the way we're currently looking at things, I think 2080 is realistic."

The question of whether humans should become multi-planetary draws a thoughtful response from Troy. He acknowledges the criticism that space companies sometimes face about prioritizing Mars when Earth has urgent problems.

"In the time scale of the things we're doing on this planet, I think it's planning your 401k while you're drowning," Troy says frankly. "There's a lot of problems we need to solve here."

But he also makes a compelling case for space technology's role in solving Earth's problems. According to the United Nations, 21 of the 22 measures used to track climate change globally are based on data collected from space.

"As much as I agree we need to be focusing on housing, education, health, mobility, getting humans to live their best lives—so much of that comes from space tech," Troy argues. "Any time you push things to the limit, as you look back, you're like, we invented Tang or a thousand more useful things."

The journey to Mars will drive technological innovations that benefit life on Earth—just as the space race did with everything from water purification to medical devices to communications technology.

 

KMI's Legacy

Troy quotes Lin-Manuel Miranda when asked about legacy: "What's in a legacy?"

For KMI, the answer operates on multiple levels. On a personal level, Troy wants the team to be remembered as "wonderful humans who give back, who are appreciative, who are authentic."

But he's also thinking generationally. "I don't know if there's anyone still living who knows Henry Ford Sr. himself, but we still have the Ford Company," Troy observes.

His vision for KMI's institutional legacy centers on Michigan and the Upper Peninsula specifically:

Economic Opportunity: Creating high-paying, high-quality, meaningful jobs in Michigan that don't require moving to the coasts.

Technology Leadership: Proving that world-changing space technology can be built outside of traditional aerospace hubs.

Education and Community: Giving back to Northern Michigan University, Marquette, and the region that shaped the founders.

Space Sustainability: Being the company that solved the space debris crisis and made long-term space operations possible.

"I see the legacy for KMI of being able to go out and do these grand things, but doing them for Earth, doing them for North America, doing them for Michigan, doing them for Marquette, doing them for NMU, down to the dorm room we met in," Troy says. "It all echoes through."

The company is already living this mission. KMI is a proud member of the Michigan Founders Fund and approximately 30 other organizations. They prioritize giving back through education, mentorship, and community engagement.

"We took significant time with the astronauts we had this week and put them in front of students," Troy shares. "One of the teachers was like, 'Don't you want to talk to them?' I was like, 'Yes, I do. But have you ever heard questions that come out of a fifth grader? It's amazing.'"

For Troy, success isn't just measured in revenue or satellites serviced. It's measured in whether KMI helps preserve space as a domain that's safe and accessible for everyone, whether the company creates opportunities in Michigan, and whether they inspire the next generation of space entrepreneurs.

"For us, the legacy is being successful," Troy concludes. "We could have all the money in the world, but if we lose to space debris, if we lose to controlling space in a way that's safe for everybody, what does it matter?"

 

Memorable Quotes from the Episode

"You can't get to Star Trek if you can't get off the planet. If we don't solve these lethal collisions that happen just above our planet, it doesn't matter what you want to build."

"We spent 60 days just calling people, asking variations of: Do you have this problem? How bad is it? Would you pay for a solution?"

"Being able to understand the human side—how people respond to incentives, how they process information, how they make decisions under uncertainty—that's been invaluable."

"I don't know if there's anyone still living who knows Henry Ford Sr. himself, but we still have the Ford Company. I want to see KMI continue in a legacy of providing for Michigan what we lacked first off—those abilities to do high paying, high quality, fruitful jobs that are good for humanity."

"By December 31st, 2080, we have folks on Mars on purpose and they have the ability and function to come back. It's still in my lifetime. I'll be fairly old by then, so my son or his future kids, maybe they're the ones who will get to go."

"In the time scale of the things we're doing on this planet, I think [going to Mars is] planning your 401k while you're drowning. There's a lot of problems we need to solve here. But in the way that the United Nations measures and tracks climate change across this planet, there's 22 measures and I believe it's 21 of them are based in space."

 
 

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