Pathfinder is shaking things up for the next two weeks with a special pod series on the State of the Space Industry. In each episode, you’ll hear from two members of Payload’s editorial staff on key trends, exclusive interviews, and insights shaping the industry. This week? Launch & OSAM, featuring Payload’s Managing Editor Jacqueline Feldscher and Senior Space Reporter Tim Fernholz. Highlights from the discussion include:LaunchLaunch cadence + increasing demandRole of launch providers and competitionChallenges including space debris and regulationAdvancements in reusabilityOSAMThe OSAM chicken-and-egg problemThe role of government partnerships and regulationsKey technologies required for OSAMRecent developments and upcoming missions, including Northrop Grumman's MRV mission, Astroscale's ADRAS-J mission, and SpaceX's Starship refueling demonstrationsAnd much more…This episode is brought to you by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). Be sure to check out the Italian Pavilion  in South Hall (Booth 603) during Space Symposium! • Chapters •00:00 - Intro & ITA Ad01:35 - The state of launch in 202304:14 - Peter Beck & Rocket Lab06:31 - Tory Bruno & ULA11:43 - Tim Ellis & Relativity Space14:09 - Make or break in launch15:27 - Government’s perspective on launch outside SpaceX17:46 - What Jacqueline is excited for in 202419:07 - Blue Origin & ULA21:41 - Tim Fernholz!22:28 - OSAM. What is it and what companies fall underneath the OSAM umbrella?24:22 - Core capabilities25:19 - OSAM market in 202325:59 - Challenges of building27:10 - Gaps in technology29:53 - Should startups be investing in OSAM technology?32:21 - How integral is the government in developing OSAM?34:13 - Who is setting standards?35:42 - OSAM 137:56 - What Tim is excited for in 2024 • Show notes •Jacqueline’s socials — https://twitter.com/jacqfeldscherTim’s socials — https://twitter.com/TimFernholzMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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 Tuesdays 4) 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, we're going live from Austin, TX, at Payload’s inaugural event, “The Ultimate High Ground: The Role of Space in National Security,” held during SXSW. Our episode features a fireside chat with Dan Goldin, the longest-serving NASA Administrator, from April 1992 to November 2001. Dan is known for leading NASA’s resurgence during one of its most challenging periods following the Cold War. His tenure was characterized by the philosophy of "faster, better, cheaper," which established the foundation for the modern space industry.We spend a considerable amount of time discussing Dan’s contributions outside NASA, including his tenure at TRW and his efforts at Cerberus, a leading private equity firm that is now heavily involved in aerospace and defense. Additionally, we explore:The next Sputnik momentTechnology transfer between NASA and the DoDThe challenges of the space industry todayThe opportunity in the space national security marketAnd much more… • Chapters •00:00 - Introduction01:44 - Military and intelligence programs at TRW03:49 - Potential unforeseen gaps in technology06:35 - 1958 Space Act10:17 - Life at Cerberus14:12 - Common missteps from startups today17:35 - Do startups understand physics?19:29 - Overcrowding in parts of the market21:18 - Where the opportunity is today26:12 - National security…more than just weapons28:54 - Directed energy33:33 - What question is not being asked more often35:19 - Cislunar space38:24 - When will we land on the Moon?38:50 - Are we underestimating or overestimating China's capabilities?39:21 - When will we land on Mars? • Show notes •Dan’s’ socials — https://twitter.com/dansgoldinMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday4) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays 5) 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 podcast features Nate Hamet, cofounder and CEO of Quindar, a startup attempting to dramatically change satellite operations. Quindar's software suite simplifies satellite command and control, enhancing health, security, and connectivity management. With a rich background in satellite operations at notable companies like OneWeb and Orbital Effects, Nate's team uses their expertise to reduce human intervention and increase efficiency in satellite constellations. In addition, we discuss:Quindar’s origin storyHow mission management software simplifies satellite operationsFully autonomous satellite solutionsThe importance of space cybersecurityAnd much more… • Chapters •00:00 - Intro01:22 - What is Quindar and what are you building?03:14 - What is satellite command and control?05:47 - Nate's background and how he started Quindar10:04 - Why is cyber security important?11:34 - How does the Mission Management Software simplify the operation of satellite constellations?19:55 - Managing data21:34 - How far away are we from fully autonomous solutions?23:30 - How does Quindar make money?25:08 - Use cases beyond space?25:57 - Commercial and government traction27:37 - What is Quindar's ideal customer?29:14 - The onboarding experience33:01 - Location and team35:51 - KSAT integration38:11 - Quindar's plan from recent funding39:59 - What to look out for in the future40:57 - The Star Trek vision41:46 - What is Nate doing when he's not building Quindar? • Show notes •Quindar’s website — https://www.quindar.space/Nate’ socials — https://twitter.com/NateHametMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday4) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays 5) 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/

Did you ever think that solar power generation in space could be 10x cheaper, 20% more efficient, and extend operational life to over 50 years? Well, that’s what the Arizona-based startup Solestial believes it can achieve with its silicon cell technology. We bring in CEO and cofounder Stan Herasimenka for his first-ever podcast to discuss the unique challenges and differences between terrestrial and space solar cells, and the technological advancements his company is making to produce radiation-hardened, thin, and flexible solar cells for space use.Stan and Mo also cover:Market potential for solar technologyReengineering long-established technologySolestial’s business model and scaling plansFuture trends in space solarAnd much more…• Chapters •00:00 - Intro00:36 - What are you building?00:59 - What prompted Stan to start Solestial?01:57 - Terrestrial vs extraterrestrial solar cells05:10 - How long would a terrestrial solar cell last in space?08:27 - Who are the main players?11:02 - What is III-V?12:25 - Supply/demand gap16:03 - Core product offering18:26 - What is the reason not to have a turnkey solution?19:53 - Cost of activeness vs COTS23:40 - Target cost of cells24:30 - Why would a customer pay more for a premium solar cell?27:37 - Self-curing radiation damage30:52 - Perovskite cells33:20 - Manufacturing and scaling36:18 - Where is Solestial based?37:01 - Customer traction38:39 - Team makeup40:18 - Financing plans?41:51 - When will Solestial have their first array in space?43:13 - What does Stan do when he's not talking about solar cells?44:09 - Other companies Stan is excited about • Show notes •Solestial’s website — https://solestial.com/Stan’s socials — https://www.linkedin.com/in/stan-herasimenka-5932561b/Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday4) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays 5) 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 features Lori Garver, a pioneering force in the space industry known for her instrumental role in propelling NASA into the modern era of commercial spaceflight. The former Deputy Administrator of NASA joins us today to discuss how partnerships with private space firms helped to shift the landscape from government-dominated missions to a thriving commercial space sector. In addition, Lori and Mo discuss:NASA’s budget and prioritiesTiming of Artemis and MarsNASA as a Cold War instrumentMuch needed policy changesAnd much more… • Chapters •00:00 - Introduction01:00 - Commercial partnerships during Lori's tenure05:55 - Why did you write your book?08:29 - The COTs program10:42 - Support for the Constellation program12:44 - Is the SLS part of the future of Artemis?15:40 - Feasibility of NASA's Artemis plan19:00 - NASA’s CLPS program22:40 - View on SpaceX's launch dominance25:52 - Future of human spaceflight27:05 - Does NASA risk losing relevance?29:25 - How does great power competition affect NASA?32:48 - Policies Lori is championing34:14 - What prompted Lori to work in the industry?38:40 - What Lori is working on today45:33 - Viability of asteroid mining49:18 - Lori's bets on next Moon/Mars landing50:52 - What does Lori do for fun? • Show notes •Lori's book — https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Gravity-Quest-Transform-Launch/dp/1635767709Lori’s socials — https://twitter.com/lori_garverMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday4) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays 5) 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/

San Francisco-based venture capital firm, Bessemer Venture Partners, is diving into defense technology, with Payload securing the first interview to discuss the firm's new strategy with Partner Tess Hatch. Despite the firm's historical successes with space companies such as Terra Bella (formerly Skybox), Spire, and Rocket Lab, they are cautiously awaiting a new technological catalyst before making further industry investments.Meanwhile, Tess has turned her attention to the defense sector highlighted in the firm’s recent Bessemer's defense tech roadmap. She highlights AI/ML solutions and autonomous systems as critical investment areas, aiming to influence the future of national security significantly.Tess joins us to recount her transition from an aspiring astronaut to a deep tech investor. In addition, Mo and Tess discuss:Bessemer’s early space thesisA breakdown of defense techThe concept of “dual use”Tech shaping the future of national securityChallenges to defense investingAnd much, much more… • Chapters •00:00 - Intro02:15 - Tess's career arc04:06 - Tess’s transition from engineer to investor06:27 - High capex in deep tech investing09:04 - BVP’s investment strategy15:59 - Space industry today and future predictions18:37 - New investors in the space industry21:07 - A third catalyst?23:41 - Bessemer's defense tech roadmap26:28 - How does Bessemer differentiate itself28:11 - How do you define defense tech?30:43 - Concept of dual use32:21 - Reality of dual use35:12 - Challenges of defense tech investing38:41 - Future opportunity in national security40:53 - Liquidity in defense tech42:48 - Who should partner with Bessemer?45:08 - Favorite war movie/book • Show notes •BVP’s Defense Tech Roadmap — https://www.bvp.com/atlas/roadmap-defense-techBVP’s socials — https://twitter.com/BessemerVPMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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 15,000+ 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 three media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/)2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)

Our guest this week not only has a PhD in theoretical astrophysics but is also a pilot, musician, entrepreneur, language enthusiast, and a thought leader on how humanity can create a better future for itself.  No, we’re not constructing a dating profile, but describing Casey Handmer, the founder of Terraform Industries, a startup focused on scaling technologies to produce cheap natural gas with sunlight and air. Today, Casey joins us not to talk shop about his company's innovations but to share his vast knowledge on a subject he's deeply passionate about—Starship, Starlink, and the future of space exploration. Casey has been a prolific writer on these topics, sharing his insights and analyses on his blog since first discussing Starship in 2019. He has a very clear message: the industry significantly underestimates what Starship is capable of and the impact it will have on society at large.Additionally, Mo and Casey chat:The Artemis program and NASA’s futureThe role of Starlink in societyMars exploration and humanity’s futureEnergy production beyond fossil fuelsThe future of science fictionAnd much, much more…this is one of the most special discussions we've had, so don't miss it.This episode is brought to you by Epsilon3, software for complex engineering, testing, and operational procedures. Learn more at https://www.epsilon3.io/• Chapters •00:00 - Intro & Epsilon3 Ad02:45 - Career arc and Terraform Industries06:33 - Humanity will move beyond fossil fuels by 204009:33 - Everyone must read Casey’s blog10:13 - Is Starship still misunderstood?16:12 - In what ways does Starship challenge traditional design philosophies19:33 - Launch capacity22:25 - $10m launch costs25:14 - Epsilon3 Ad Break25:43 - HLS & why Artemis hasn't been redesigned28:24 - Thoughts on Blue Moon29:43 - Why does a non-Starship Artemis program not move the needle?34:18 - Mars & NASA36:47 - Is Mars a business?37:55 - Startups building in this new regime41:09 - Starship IFTs42:36 - When will we see the first payload deploying Starship launch?43:18 - Does the Starlink model work without Starship?44:28 - Is the Falcon enough to replenish Starlink satellites?45:24 - Will there be political support for a future with Starship?52:05 - How will Starship affect the science fiction genre? • Show notes •Casey’s blog — https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/Terraform’s website — https://terraformindustries.com/Casey’s socials — https://twitter.com/CJHandmerMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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 15,000+ 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 three media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/)2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)

Two weeks ago, we launched Payload Research, a new division within Payload dedicated to providing incisive, insight-driven analysis tailored for industry leaders and investors. Today, we welcome Jack Kuhr, the esteemed Research Director of Payload, to go under the hood of our new venture. We explore the motivations behind its inception and offer a glimpse into what the future holds. In addition, they discuss:The Starship Report: This is Payload Research's inaugural publication, offering comprehensive insights into SpaceX’s heavy lift launch vehicleSpaceX’s 2023 Financial Overview: An in-depth analysis of SpaceX's financial performance in 2023, including a detailed breakdown of its revenue and the methodology employed by our team • Chapters •00:00 - Intro00:36 - Jack's history with Payload04:14 - Why are we building Payload Research?10:34 - The Starship Report15:58 - When will we see Starship commercial payloads?20:12 - Starship cost-analysis27:35 - What is Starbase like?30:13 - SpaceX’s 2023 financials33:18 - Launch assumptions34:52 - Starlink assumptions39:38 - SpaceX’s Other revenue42:44 - Payload's next research newsletter43:18 - What should people expect from future Payload research editions?44:50 - What is Jack looking forward to covering the most this year?46:18 - How to sign up • Show notes •The Starship Report — https://payloadspace.com/starship-report/Payload Research’s website — https://www.payloadspace.com/researchJack’s socials —https://twitter.com/JackKuhrMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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 15,000+ 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 three media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/)2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)

Our guest this week is Malory McLemore, the co-founder and CEO of Stell, an LA-based startup that is building workflow software to serve as the future data layer for hardware and industrials. Their platform enables complex, multi-company hardware development efforts to track engineering and compliance documentation, replacing traditional methods like Excel sheets and PDFs.Malory shares her journey from being an aerospace engineer dealing with subpar software tooling to founding Stell. In addition, we discuss:Stell’s origin story and fundraising plansDifferentiating engineering toolsApollo-era systems engineeringThe next generation of post-MBA graduatesAnd much more… • Chapters •00:00 - Intro00:48 - What is Stell?01:44 - Malory's career arc in the space industry05:19 - Why are  Harvard students becoming more interested in space?06:37 - Malory's previous jobs that led her to Stell today07:49 - How could aircraft like Boeing's latest be improved?10:53 - How have companies operated in the past and why should they work with Stell?12:38 - Current offerings and roadmap14:19 - Stell's business model14:55 - What does the ideal Stell customer look like?15:50 - Stell's selling point16:45 - How do you quantify money savings to a client18:33 - Government clients20:39 - How did Stella build the team22:36 - Plans for expanding beyond aerospace23:28 - How do you differentiate among other engineering management tools?26:51 - Do you think that this looks from other companies, but we’re headed to start to look similar?29:45 - Current fundraising plans30:06 - Grand vision to investors31:41 - What kicked off the growth of hard tech startups?33:23 - What would Malory be working on if it weren't for Stell?33:56 - Apollo-era management37:26 - What does the startup community look like in Huntsville?38:32 - Was building in LA the best decision you've made? Stell's website — https://www.stell-engineering.com/Stell's socials — https://twitter.com/stell_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/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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 15,000+ 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 three media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/)2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)

Our guest this week, Tim Kienberger, has been at the forefront of the industry's evolution from large-scale satellite buses to the small satellite revolution. As the current CEO of LeoStella, a joint venture between Thales Alenia Space and BlackSky, he is helping the company redefine small satellite manufacturing.In today's episode, Tim reveals insights into the production of small satellites and the unique challenges of managing a joint venture. In addition, we discuss:LeoStella’s origin storyCislunar spacecraft needsThe impact of Starship on small satellitesScaling challenges of small sat startupsAnd much more…• Chapters •00:00 - Introduction00:22 - Tim's career overview02:40 - Thales/Blacksky JV06:56 - Core offerings and customer makeup09:01 - Current demand12:19 - Product roadmap14:03 - Capability needs from LEO to cislunar17:53 - Government customers19:50 - Balancing customization vs standardization23:18 - Production hurdles26:16 - Competitive landscape27:36 - Challenges for new startups31:32 - Impact of Starship on the small sat market40:18 - Long-term funding needs42:19 - What would Tim be doing if he wasn't in the space industry• Show notes •LeoStella's website — https://leostella.com/LeoStella's socials — https://twitter.com/LeoStellaLLCMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder 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 15,000+ 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 three media properties across multiple platforms: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/) 2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com) 3) Polaris, our weekly policy publication, hits inboxes Tuesday (https://polaris.payloadspace.com/) 4) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)