This week on Pathfinder, we welcome back Matt Gialich, cofounder and CEO of AstroForge, to discuss the company’s plans to mine platinum group metals from near-Earth asteroids and its recent Series A funding. In this episode, Matt provides updates on AstroForge’s upcoming missions, the challenges of developing a cost-effective method for extracting and refining space resources, and how the company is addressing the technical complexities of deep space exploration. He also delves into the specifics of the $40 million Series A round, which will support AstroForge's next two missions, and how the company is balancing risk with innovation to lower costs.In addition, we cover:AstroForge’s approach to refining metals in space and their proprietary low-power refineryThe economics of the asteroid mining marketLessons learned from previous mining effortsThe importance of scalability and mission flexibilityThe regulatory landscape and its evolution as the industry growsAnd much more… • Chapters •00:00 - Intro00:48 - Matt's background and AstroForge01:52 - Platinum group metals and why we need to mine them04:14 - Beyond just platinum mining08:27 - Bird scooters to JPL11:40 - What makes space mining companies fail and who are AstroForge's current competitors?15:37 - How large is the PGM market today?18:34 - Developments at AstroForge since July 202321:46 - Plan for Mission 223:32 - How do you choose (and image) an asteroid?27:19 - What does the architecture of the end system look like28:13 - Materials processing28:51 - Technical challenges31:08 - Cost vs Risk36:32 - State of space mining regulation and how it will evolve38:25 - How other countries are viewing space mining44:18 - Plans with Series A proceeds45:03 - Common investor misconceptions48:53 - Government contracts50:10 - Long- term vision51:20 - Are we ready for a killer asteroid?53:49 - Who's playing Matt in the movie about AstroForge? • Show notes •AstroForge’s website — https://www.astroforge.com/Matt’s socials — https://twitter.com/MattGialichMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece,  comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/

This week’s Pathfinder pod features Brian D’Erario, the man who keeps the lights on at Payload as the Director of Client Partnerships. Brian’s role is to bring in all the revenue that makes everything at Payload possible (no pressure, Brian!).  With experience working with over 97 partners, Brian has been instrumental in shaping Payload's approach to brand awareness and lead generation.Brian shares his journey from selling B2B hardware and software to government contractors, to his time at Morning Brew, and finally joining Payload to drive partnerships in the space sector. We explore Brian's background, including his work with various industries and his insights into the unique challenges of marketing within the space industry. We also discuss:The marketing strategies that space companies often overlookThe importance of brand awareness even during the R&D phaseHow startups can compete with the primesThe role of content in engaging B2B audiencesEffective conference strategies for maximizing impactAnd much more… • Chapters •00:00 - Intro01:04 - What does Brian do at Payload?01:51 - Brian's background04:33 - Morning Brew08:09 - Initial assessment of space marketing strategies10:39 - Do space companies market themselves well?12:27 - Marketing your product before you start selling19:46 - Brand awareness vs lead generation27:40 - When does it make sense for a startup to spend money on marketing?31:44 - How can a startup develop a marketing plan for a product that competes against a prime competitor?34:46 - Creating engaging B2B content41:31 - Agency vs in-house43:39 - Conference strategies47:44 - The Marketing Playbook52:53 - Brian’s publication55:11 - Partnerships consultant57:15 - From hockey to pickleball • Show notes •Brian’s Marketing Newsletter — https://payloadspace.com/marketing-deep-tech-newsletter/Brian’s socials — https://twitter.com/derariobMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece,  comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/

This week’s Pathfinder pod features Tony Frazier, LeoLab’s newly appointed CEO, to discuss the critical role the company plays in building a living map of orbital activity for space operations. With over $120M of private capital raised, LeoLabs has continued to expand its global network of ground-based radars, currently cataloging over 22,000 objects in LEO. Tony shares his journey from a 13-year career at Maxar to joining LeoLabs, driven by his belief in the company's mission to enhance space safety and security.We explore Tony's background, including his experience managing billion-dollar P&L operations at Maxar and his involvement with Iridium, which shaped his understanding of the risks posed by debris. We also discuss:The founding story of LeoLabsThe unique advantages of ground-based radar network compared to other tracking methodsThe exponential growth in orbital objectsScaling a radar system to meet the demands of a rapidly proliferating LEO environmentThe future of space traffic management and the impact of regulationAnd much, much more… • Chapters •00:00 - Intro00:33 - What is LeoLabs?01:34 - Where is LeoLabs based and how long have they been around?02:42 - How did Tony end up at Leo Labs?04:26 - The mission08:04 - Why LeoLabs hired Tony?09:55 - How important is debris and traffic management?13:52 - The Kessler Syndrome15:48 - LeoLabs' architecture23:08 - Competitor differentiation25:29 - Advantages of a space-based architecture28:14 - Scaling30:09 - 3rd-party data integration32:12 - Current demand for situational awareness and future predictions35:06 - Market catalysts39:38 - How LeoLabs makes money41:41 - Data tracking for the lowest tier subscription44:26 - Government vs commercial bookings44:59 - What makes LeoLabs attractive to investors?48:16 - Is the goal to become a public company?49:26 - Killer asteroids50:07 - Favorite space-related media • Show notes •LeoLab’s website — https://leolabs.space/LeoLab’s socials — https://twitter.com/LeoLabs_SpaceMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece,  comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/

In this discussion, Andy Lapsa, co-founder and CEO of Stoke Space, shares insights from his extensive aerospace career, including a decade at Blue Origin. He dives into Stoke's innovative approach to creating fully reusable launch vehicles, focusing on second-stage reusability that sets them apart from competitors. Andy highlights the importance of operational efficiency and the role of their proprietary software, Fusion, in optimizing processes. He also discusses the evolving launch market and the necessity for diverse providers to ensure industry growth.

This week's Pathfinder features Colin Doughan, CEO of Gravitics, a Seattle-based startup that specializes in the development of modular space infrastructure to support the expansion of stations and orbital platforms. Their primary product is the StarMax module, which can be customized in various sizes to accommodate different launch vehicles and mission requirements.Colin shares his journey into the aerospace industry and his vision for building real estate platforms in space. With a background that includes nearly 20 years at Lockheed Martin and founding Altius Space Machines (acquired by Voyager), Colin brings a considerable amount of experience in infrastructure development.We explore:The approach Gravitics takes in developing scalable station modulesThe market potential for free-flying stations and the impact of new launch vehicle capabilitiesOperator vs builder model in space stationsChallenges in scaling manufacturing and testing for space environmentsThe future of artificial gravity and its importance for long-term space habitationAnd much more... • Chapters •00:00 - Intro & Epsilon ad02:04 - Colin's background03:23 - Colin's first business venture04:02 - Why start a space station business?05:25 - Evolution of the Gravitics's vision06:57 - Zero G modules07:36 - Business model08:26 - Why not operate modules?10:04 - How do you perceive the market opportunity for free-flying space stations?18:19 - Design decisions22:25 - Turning a competitor into a customer25:02 - Gravitics's approach vs existing providers26:14 - Is there enough capital and investors to sustain this market?30:26 - Countries creating their own launch capabilities33:24 - StarMax35:44 - Insourcing vs outsourcing36:52 - Scaling manufacturing40:05 - Testing42:50 - Technical challengers that keep Colin up at night44:42 - Commercial and government traction48:34 - Long-term view50:09 - ETA for Elysium?50:35 - Who's going to play Colin in the future movie about Gravitics? • Show notes •Gravitic’s website — https://www.gravitics.com/Gravitic’s socials — https://twitter.com/graviticsincColin’s socials — https://twitter.com/colindoughanMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece,  comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/

This week's Pathfinder guest is Tina Ghataore, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer at Aerospacelab as well as CEO of Aerospacelab N.A. With a background in aerospace engineering and extensive experience in business development and strategy, Tina has been instrumental in taking products and services to market in both large and small companies.Aerospacelab is a Belgium-based company specializing in satellite platforms and components. Our conversation with Tina covers the fascinating world of satellite technology and Aerospacelab's role in it. We exploreThe vision of founder, Benoît Deper, and the company's growth over the past six yearsApproach to building and launching satellitesThe significance of vertical integrationChallenges and opportunities in the commercial and government satellite marketsThe role of Aerospacelab North America in expanding capabilitiesAnd much more... • Chapters •00:00 - Intro01:04 - About Tina and her path to Aerospacelab04:44 - Why Aerospacelab?06:24 - Aerospacelab's history and Tina's division09:38 - Why does Aerospacelab need a division focused on North American clients?12:20 - Market opportunity and distinguishing from their competitors17:29 - Gauging SpaceX's long-term bus desires19:44 - Current and future product roadmap23:53 - How is Aerospacelab currently building satellites27:43 - Aerospacelab's max satellite capacity31:49 - Customer base36:41 - How is Aerospacelab funded?39:15 - 10 year vision42:06 - Space in the Middle East50:32 - Startups that Tina is excited about53:54 - What does Tina do for fun? • Show notes •Aerospacelab’s website — https://www.aerospacelab.com/Aerospacelab’s socials — https://twitter.com/aerospacelab_Tina’s socials — https://twitter.com/Tina_GhataoreMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece,  comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/

This week on Pathfinder, we feature Kate Kelly, Director of Space and Emerging Programs at BWXT, an 8,000-person firm that specializes in delivering nuclear reactors and components for the Navy, commercial nuclear industry, and advanced technologies. Kate shares her journey into the nuclear and space industry, providing insights into the advancements and challenges faced by BWXT. With a background in chemical engineering, Kate has been with BWXT for over a decade, contributing to significant projects like small modular reactors and space nuclear propulsion systems.Our conversation with Kate covers the world of space nuclear technology and BWXT's role in it. We also discuss:Kate's unconventional path into the nuclear industry and BWXTThe significance of the DARPA Draco Phase 2 Award and its impact on space nuclear propulsionThe role of nuclear thermal propulsion in future explorationChallenges and milestones in developing nuclear technology for spaceRegulatory processes and safety considerations for nuclear systemsAnd much more... • Chapters •00:00 - Intro01:25 - How Kate ended up at BWXT and pursuing nuclear03:47 - Quick rundown on BWXT04:34 - What has made Kate stay at BWXT for her whole career?06:50 - Director of space and emerging programs08:02 - For All Mankind and how nuclear propulsion works11:29 - First spacecraft to use nuclear propulsion12:51 - Milestones14:33 - What does nuclear propulsion solve?16:25 - What kind of work is BWXT doing on the power side when it comes to space?19:46 - Possible scenarios for nuclear power solutions on Earth21:38 - Long-term value behind BWXT's tech23:19 - The size of Kate's division24:45 - How does regulation work for nuclear technologies in space?27:40 - State of nuclear today and how long until it becomes commercialized30:38 - BWXT post successful demonstration prediction32:03 - Safety and combatting public perception on nuclear34:54 - How BWXT tests their propulsion systems37:24 - Competitors38:57 - How does BWXT compete against faster and more agile startups?41:34 - Nuclear for space in 10 years43:16 - What Kate does with her free time • Show notes •BWXT’s website — https://www.bwxt.com/what-we-do/advanced-technologies/BWXT’s socials — https://twitter.com/BWXTMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece,  comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/

Fresh off of a $95M Series B funding round, this week we bring back Ian Cinnamon, CEO of Apex, on to the show. Ian, along with his co-founder Max Benassi, started Apex to address the bottleneck in satellite bus manufacturing. Apex is revolutionizing the small satellite bus market with its productized approach and rapid manufacturing capabilities. Our conversation explores Ian’s journey from concept to scaling production, including:The Series B funding round and its implicationsApex's mission to become the leading supplier of satellite busesChallenges and strategies in scaling productionImportance of maintaining a product-focused modelInsights into the evolving satellite bus marketThe future vision for ApexAnd much more... • Chapters •00:00 - Intro & 100th episode!02:42 - Apex origin story03:59 - Changes between funding rounds05:12 - Key factors in raising $95m06:40 - Financing needs of Apex07:35 - Current fundraising environment09:07 - Market opportunity of satellite buses10:55 - Is there serious demand for buses if you take out Starlink?16:05 - Winning niche for contracts17:53 - How Apex separates itself from competitors19:27 - SpaceX's bus building capabilities21:04 - Plans beyond LEO22:06 - Apex naming scheme23:49 - Mission 128:23 - First expectations for Mission 130:10 - Mission 1 timeline32:24 - Combatting the unreliability of the current state of launch37:03 - Balancing Apex's needs and the government's40:42 - Impending government contract win?41:53 - Why Apex built an e-commerce workflow44:22 - Scaling48:09 - Team size and expansion goals at Apex49:34 - What kind of capital would Apex need to be self-sustainable51:56 - Advice for prospective founders53:15 - Long-term vision, 10 years out55:53 - Who is playing Ian in the movie about Apex? • Show notes •Apex’s website — https://www.apexspace.com/Apex’s socials — https://twitter.com/ApexSpacecraftIan’s socials — https://twitter.com/IanCinnamonMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece,  comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/

Pierre Lionnet leads Eurospace and brings 30 years of expertise in space economics. He sheds light on the complex dynamics of the space economy, revealing overestimations in market forecasting and misconceptions about industry growth. The conversation touches on the environmental impact of increased satellite launches, the sustainability of startups in the space sector, and the need for accurate data-driven assessments. Lionnet also emphasizes the pivotal role of private investment and commercialization in shaping the future of space exploration.

Mike Palank, former Hollywood talent agent now at MaC Venture Capital, talks about transitioning into VC, spotting talent, and the importance of diversity in investments. They discuss the space industry, notable investments, and challenges faced by startups. Insightful conversation on the evolution of space investing and initiatives for diversity in the sector.