Apple Car Sensor Manager Departs Company for Space Startup Astra

Benjamin Lyon, who was heading up a sensor team working on the Apple Car, recently departed Apple to join space startup Astra as the company's chief engineer.

Apple car wheel icon feature purple
Lyon shared the news in an interview with TechCrunch, where he said that he moved on to Astra because he was interested in Astra's vision as it works on small satellite deployment. "I think the Astra vision is this magical combination of fundamentally taking the rocket science out of space. How do you do that? Well, you better have a great foundation of a team, and a great foundation of core technologies that you can bring together in order to make a compelling series of products," he said.

Prior to leaving Apple, Lyon worked on the iPhone, input devices and sensor hardware, and finally, the Apple Car. In 2016, he was working under Bob Mansfield, but Apple Car leadership has since shifted to AI chief John Giannandrea. Prior to leaving Apple, Lyon was reporting to Doug Field, the former Tesla engineer serving as vice president on the project.

Lyon has been on the Apple Car team since 2014, and according to Bloomberg, weathered all of the changes in leadership until moving on to Astra this year.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

Apple_Robert Avatar
45 months ago

Apple should start lookin into Space instead of Apple Vehicle. More profit margin for them.
How is there profit margin in space for Apple? I think you are confused again.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
45 months ago

This sounds like someone leaving because they were being passed by at Apple.
Probably a win win for both....
That is a lot of projecting on your part. Nothing in the article suggest that line of thinking.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robjulo Avatar
45 months ago

How is there profit margin in space for Apple? I think you are confused again.
It's just the typical nonsensical posting, with zero substance....in first to collect likes.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Attirex Avatar
45 months ago

Apple should start lookin into Space instead of Apple Vehicle. More profit margin for them.
APPLE ROCKET+ SE PRO MAX S
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
45 months ago

well, given that they are working on this presumably for 5,6,7 or so yeas, I am sure that plans have changed jut as often and people get fed up with situations like that, not saying it's the case for this specific one ...
If I live long enough to see a Jetsons car come to fruition, I will be happy. lol Make it happen Apple.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
il_teo77 Avatar
45 months ago
When I read news like these sometimes I wonder if working for years on a project of which you cannot speak with anybody has something to do with the decision. Purely from a human, psychological, point of view. I think it can be frustrating at times to apply everything you know to something no one has seen and maybe won’t for a longtime
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)