This week’s Pathfinder podcast features  Dr. Ellen Stofan, the Under Secretary of Science and Research at the Smithsonian. She oversees its science research centers and the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History and the National Zoo.Dr. Ellen Stofan is an American geologist and former NASA scientist who specialized in the geology of Venus, Mars, and Saturn's moon Titan. Ellen has held several key positions at NASA, including Chief Scientist from 2013 to 2016. During her tenure as Chief Scientist, she was instrumental in the development of a long-term plan to get humans to Mars and worked on strategies for NASA's science programs and science-related strategic goals and objectives.Ellen is now the Under Secretary for Science and Research at the Smithsonian. She oversees its science research centers and the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History and the National Zoo.Today, Mo, Rachael and Ellen discuss:Ellen’s work at NASA and the SmithsonianNASA’s approach to collaboration with commercial spaceThe privatization of the ISSNASA’s strategy around Mars and StarshipGovernance structure for off-planet habitationAnd much more…• Chapters • 00:00 - Intro01:03 - Ellen as Chief Scientist of NASA06:11 - Were you destined to work at NASA?07:51 - Changes in the space industry since Ellen's tenure at NASA10:39 - Ellen's career post-NASA13:59 - Managing expectations of the public16:09 - Marrying the goals of NASA and the commercial space industry  26:56 - How has NASA's Mars strategy changed?29:39 - How do you gauge the public's interest in space projects?31:26 - What technical problems remain for a crewed Mars mission?33:21 - Impact of Starship on Mars?34:54 - Will Starship change mass and design decision for science missions?38:17 - Other noteworthy innovations from commercial space?39:45 - Most interesting place for humans to visit outside of Mars?41:33 - If we colonize Mars, what type of government should be instituted?43:22 - "For All Mankind" and Space Race 2.046:11 - Favorite piece/installation from the Smithsonian47:33 - Where  would you go in the Solar System and what ship  would you take?48:20 - Will we find evidence that there is life on Mars?• Show notes • Smithsonian's socials — https://twitter.com/smithsonianRachael's socials — https://twitter.com/RachaelZiskMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)

What does a space station, a lunar lander, a nuclear reactor, and a fleet of cislunar space vehicles have in common? They’re all part of serial space entrepreneur Kam Ghaffarian’s holding company IBX.IBX consists of:Axiom Space, which provides private flights to the ISS and is also developing a commercial space station.Intuitive Machines, which is developing autonomous lunar landing systems.X-Energy, an engineering company working on nuclear reactors and fuel design.Quantum Space, which provides payload transportation, critical data, and infrastructure services in geostationary orbit and cislunar space.This week’s Pathfinder podcast features IBX’s Chief Investment Officer, Anton Brevde. Anton was previously a general partner at famed deep tech venture fund, Prime Movers Lab, where he led  space investments. Payload went under the hood to understand how the four companies relate to one another and discuss the current state of the space economy, particularly:Anton’s role managing the business and capital needs of four highly complex businessesFundraising for space companies in today’s market environmentThe role of government as a provider of non-dilutive fundingThe most common do’s and don’ts for space foundersAnd much more…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 and Epsilon3 Ad 01:12 - Experience at Prime Movers Lab (PML) 06:47 - PML's investment philosophy 08:58 - New role at IBX10:37 - Why the increased focus on the space industry? 12:36 - Responsibilities of a Chief Investment Officer 14:42 - Common thread between IBX companies19:26 - What is X-Energy?22:57 - What is Quantum Space26:06 - Epsilon Ad break 26:36 - Categorizing the space industry for an investor 32:36 - The current state of the space economy35:55 - Government intervention in space41:05 - The role of government in funding needs 49:49 - New innovations in the industry to be excited about51:56 - What do you look for in founders and what makes them successful?56:41 - Common founder mistakes 01:03:05 - Where to find Anton's blog• Show notes • IBX's website — https://i-b-x.com/Anton's blog — https://anton78704.medium.com/Anton's socials — https://twitter.com/anton_brevdeMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)

Picture a world where you can complete your 6-month engineering project in just 6 weeks by removing typical bottlenecks in your workflows. That’s what cofounder and CEO of Prewitt Ridge Steve Massey believes his company can help both government and commercial stakeholders of the space industry achieve.Enter Prewitt Ridge: Prewitt Ridge is a software company that helps engineers manage engineering requirements in complex projects. The company's software, Verve, captures and manages engineering requirements inside the tools where they originate and across complex datasets.Said differently…Prewitt Ridge's software helps engineers to be more organized and efficient, which can lead to faster, cheaper and more reliable product development. A sneak peek…Steve held roles at Slingshot Aerospace and SpaceX before teaming up with fellow cofounder and CTO Zeke Brechtel to start Prewitt Ridge. Today, Mo and Steve discuss:Prewitt Ridge’s value-add to the space industryNASA’s expertise in systems engineeringThe future of automation in aerospaceWorking on Hyperloop technologyAnd much more…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 and Epsilon3 Ad 03:03 - What is Prewitt Ridge?04:46 - Keeping all stakeholders coordinated 06:21 - What inspired you to build the company?10:51 - Common mistakes for space founders 12:45 - Automatic vs manual systems 15:40 - Is systems engineering just an exercise in paperwork? 19:29 - Quantifying losses from not having proper processes21:47 - NASA's approach to systems engineering 26:44 - What products are you building today? 28:58 - Epsilon Ad break 29:27 - Current customer traction31:05 - The ideal commercial customer33:03 - Team size today33:27 - Prewitt's competitors 36:14 - What is a digital thread? 37:34 - The Techstars Space Accelerator40:25 - What is Hyperloop and how did you start working on it? 45:27 - Where do you see automation spreading in the space industry? 52:13 - Where does the name Prewitt come from? 52:57 - What do you do in your free time?• Show notes • Prewitt Ridge's website — https://www.prewittridge.com/Prewitt Ridge's socials — https://twitter.com/prewittridgeSteve's socials — https://twitter.com/thesteveMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)

Today’s Pathfinder episode features AstroForge cofounder and CEO Matt Gialich. The CA-based startup is developing technology to mine asteroids for platinum group metals. The company plans to use an uncrewed spacecraft to extract and refine the metals directly on the asteroid before returning to Earth with a sellable metal.Why platinum? The platinum group metals have unique physical and chemical properties that make them critical to everything from catalytic converters to electronics. According to Gialich, the US has a dwindling supply of platinum group ore reserves, and Russia and China control a significant supply of global stocks. But there’s hope in the heavens: a single one-kilometer-diameter M-type (primarily composed of metallic iron and nickel) asteroid could contain more platinum than has been mined in the history of humanity, Gialich said.So far…AstroForge launched a refinery demo this spring and plans to launch a prospecting mission in October where they will physically go to an asteroid to map and monitor the surface. Future missions will include excavation and finally mining.A sneak peek…Mo and Matt discuss:The history of landing on asteroidsThe basics of asteroid miningThe economics of mining off-planetLegal and regulatory considerationsAnd much more… This episode is brought to you by SpiderOak, a US-based software company that builds space cybersecurity products and solutions for civilian, military, and commercial space operations. Learn more at https://spideroak.com/ • Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and SpiderOak ad02:07 - The early days of AstroForge02:51 - Why asteroid mining today?06:58 - Cofounder backgrounds08:14 - Asteroid mining 10111:48 - Platinum group metals13:10 - Historical asteroid missions 17:23 - Refining materials on an asteroid 20:51 - Upcoming mission 22:33 - How unique is AstroForge's technology?24:48 - Mission risks27:32 - SpiderOak ad break 28:19 - Economics of asteroid mining 33:59 - AstroForge's first mission 34:31 - Outlook for the next few missions 34:55 - Scaling plans after a successful first mission 37:22 - Capital intensity of the venture 39:42 - Team construction 41:12 - Competition42:13 - Legal & regulatory considerations of mining46:30 - 10-year vision49:28 - Future technologies for easier asteroid mining51:27 - Favorite space companies• Show notes • AstroForge's website — https://www.astroforge.io/AstroForge's socials — https://twitter.com/astroforgeMatt's socials — https://twitter.com/MattGialichMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)

Today’s Pathfinder episode features Phantom Space cofounder and CEO Jim Cantrell. The Tucson-based space transportation company is focused on the mass production of rockets. Jim began his career at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and the French Space Agency (CNES), working on Mars exploration technologies and a joint French-Soviet Mars program​​. He was a founding member of SpaceX, serving as its first VP of business development. He later co-founded Moon Express, a company focused on commercial lunar robotic transportation​ and Vector Space, a micro-launch vehicle company​.Phantom primer: Phantom's strategy focuses around a central idea: mass production of rockets. Instead of going all-in on vertical integration, Cantrell's choosing to leverage the expertise of outside specialists for key technology—for example, propulsion company Ursa Major is fueling Phantom's rocket engines. By providing some but not all the R&D, the company can operate with a substantially leaner core staff. The thought is that this mass-produced, “Henry Ford”-like development and production approach will substantially lower costs and increase efficiency. Cantrell says that Phantom’s price tag to get to space will be roughly $100M, substantially lower than competitors. The company’s product roadmap includes:The Daytona, which is a two-stage rocket designed to deliver payloads up to 450 kgs to LEO, is​ expected to first launch in late 2024/early 2025.Its larger sibling, Laguna, has a planned lift capacity of 1,200 kgs to LEO with the first launch expected in 2027. The Laguna will have both an expendable and reusable configuration for its first stage similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9.In addition to Phantom’s early days, Mo and Jim discuss: The infamous Elon and Russian ICBM storyLearnings from VectorThe evolution of venture capitalists and spacePros/cons of vertical integrationTeam constructionAnd much more… This episode is brought to you by SpiderOak, a US-based software company that builds space cybersecurity products and solutions for civilian, military, and commercial space operations. Learn more at https://spideroak.com/ • Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and SpiderOak Ad 01:30 - Jim, Elon, and Russia 07:05 - Why did Elon reach out to you at the time? 09:48 - What is Phantom Space?15:32 - Relying on an external supply chain17:38 - To vertically integrate, or not to vertically integrate?21:17 - Development timelines 26:07 - Other products outside of launch 28:08 - Team construction 34:52 - SpiderOak Ad break 35:40 - Vector: What went well and what were the key challengers? 42:16 - Space VCs: then vs now 49:55 - What company are you most excited about?51:29 - Alternative methods to reach orbit53:43 - Is it harder to build a new launch vehicle or a winning Formula 1 car?• Show notes • Phantom's website — https://www.phantomspace.com/Phantom's socials — https://twitter.com/PhantomSpaceCJim's socials — https://twitter.com/jamesncantrellMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)

While warfare used to mean dropping bombs and shooting bullets, modern conflict is increasingly seeing actors targeting an adversaries’ critical infrastructure with cyberattacks. The number of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure perpetrated or sponsored by nation-states doubled from 20% to 40% between July 2021 and June 2022, according to Microsoft. The US is particularly vulnerable since the vast majority of critical infrastructure is under private ownership. This makes the implementation of safety standards challenging and complicates the government's task of monitoring and guarding against threats. Enter: Galvanick.Catch-up quick: The LA-based startup, which just announced a $10M seed round, is building cybersecurity solutions to protect industrial infrastructure. Galvanick's first product is an industrial-based XDR platform. Think of it as a system that collects data from different industrial machines and locations to keep an eye out for any potential threats. This allows the operations and computer security teams to understand what’s normal behavior—and what isn’t—and to quickly see if something is out of whack. First customer? The company’s initial target market is the aerospace and defense industry, where cyber threats are particularly acute due to national security interests.A sneak peek…We interview Josh Steinman, cofounder and CEO of Galvanick. Josh founded the company in 2021 after witnessing the extent of the issue as a former senior director for cyber at the National Security Council. We discuss:Galvanick’s origin story and visionThe importance of the National Security CouncilAsymmetric attacks and the extent of the cyber problemWhat separates successful defense startupsThe top three threats to AmericaAnd much more… This episode is brought to you by SpiderOak, a US-based software company that builds space cybersecurity products and solutions for civilian, military, and commercial space operations. Learn more at https://spideroak.com/ • Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and SpiderOak Ad01:10 - Good morning, we are going to win03:35 - Galvanick overview05:56 - Josh's background and the Galvanick origin story09:35 - Influencing the creation of the Defense Innovation Unit11:28 - National Security Council Primer14:25 - How did you land a role on the NSC?16:29 - What is an asymmetric attack and how does cyber fit into that description?22:47 - What are the critical  vulnerabilities that we face today?27:20 - Galvanick's technology29:53 - How are you thinking about scaling in the market and growing the business?32:44 - Customer pushback on the product36:55 - How is generative AI going to change cyberattacks?39:01 - SpiderOak Ad break39:49 - What separates successful defense startups from the rest?42:33 - How would you digitize our infrastructure?47:17 - Top threats to America today50:28 - Is China ahead in critical technology developments?52:50 - Perspective on US decline vs China rise57:12 - The future of cybersecurity01:00 - How to get in touch with Josh and Galvanick• Show notes • Galvanick's website — https://www.galvanick.com/Galvanick's socials — https://twitter.com/GalvanickCoJosh's socials — https://twitter.com/JoshuaSteinmanMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)

VLEO is a term that you don’t hear everyday in the space industry. It refers to “Very Low Earth Orbit,” a region of space that’s roughly twice as close to Earth’s surface as the commonly-used LEO, or “Low Earth Orbit,” where most companies are building their satellite constellations. But not Albedo. The Austin, TX- and Denver, CO-based startup is changing the architecture of Earth Observation (EO) by operating satellites at an orbital regime in which no other commercial provider is successfully operating.Today’s Pathfinder episode features Albedo cofounder and CEO Topher Haddad. Haddad spent the initial years of his career at Lockheed Martin, where he developed passive and active remote sensing systems before jumping into the famed startup accelerator Y Combinator to start Albedo.Why VLEO? Albedo is pushing the boundaries of EO by offering aerial-quality imagery (optical and thermal to start) from space. In Dec. 2021, the company obtained the first commercial NOAA license to sell 10-cm satellite imagery—much higher-res than the 30-cm imagery that was allowed previously. Operating in VLEO enables 10-cm resolution at substantially lower cost than existing government satellites as long as you can solve the propulsion and positioning problem (more on that in the pod!).Albedo is targeting early 2025 for its first satellite launch with a second launch later that year and several more in 2026. The initial constellation of six satellites is expected to achieve daily revisit, and the full constellation of 24 is intended to eventually reach five revisits per day.A sneak peek…Mo and Topher chat about the early days of Albedo, learnings from Lockheed, and building across Austin and Denver. In addition: VLEO: why, what, how?A satellite resolution primerAlbedo product roadmapArtificial intelligence in EOMarket for high-resolution imageryAnd much more… This episode is brought to you by SpiderOak, a US-based software company that builds space cybersecurity products and solutions for civilian, military, and commercial space operations. Learn more at https://spideroak.com/ • Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and SpiderOak Ad 01:38 - What is Albedo?03:45 - How did Topher got into EO? 06:32 - The infamous classified tweet09:19 - Satellite resolution primer 12:11 - Operating in VLEO14:16 - Technological innovations for VLEO 18:22 - Current product roadmap20:49 - Why start with optical and thermal? 22:55 - Higher resolution offerings and NOAA license 26:32 - How you approach the government vs commercial customer?29:59 - SpiderOak Ad break 30:47 - From space to server in under an hour 34:42 - Competitor landscape 36:43 - AI within the EO market 39:42 - Resolution vs revisits?41:44 - Building the Albedo team44:43 - Austin vs Denver offices 46:17 - Distributed teams, centralized culture 48:56 - Life at YC51:39 - Lessons learned at Lockheed 53:09 - What will a VLEO platform enable you to do in the long run? 56:28 - What other companies are you excited about? 57:35 - Albedo's investors: Breakthrough Energy & Shield Capital• Show notes • Albedo's website — https://albedo.com/Albedo's socials — https://twitter.com/AlbedoMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)

How do you get Blackrock to lead your $140M funding round? You’ll have to listen to Loft Orbital's CEO and cofounder, Pierre-Damien Vaujour, to find out.The SF-based company provides a turnkey solution for launching, deploying, and operating small satellites, giving more players access to space. Loft’s business model could be most simplified as a fulfillment model for the space industry. The company buys satellite buses in bulk and integrates customer payloads via their universal hub interface. The company’s proprietary satellite management software simplifies the notoriously complex task of spacecraft operations. The key value prop? Help customers get to space in months, not years.Mo and Pierre-Damien have a wide-ranging conversation, including highlights such as:Loft’s business model vs. competitors Space-as-a-service to space-infrastructure-as-a-serviceFuture innovations in the satellite industryToulouse, and why it’s the aerospace capital of EuropeAnd much more… 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 and Epsilon3 Ad01:38 - How did you get started with Loft Orbital05:51 - Industry expectations vs reality08:05 - Technical traction09:19 - Space-as-a-service vs Space infrastructure-as-a-service13:23 - Current commercial offerings15:49 - Managing the complexity of multiple payloads18:55 - Bulk buying vs vertical integration21:41 - How do you build partnerships while minimize supply chain risks?24:38 - Commercial traction30:18 - Largest opportunity for Loft: Commercial vs Government?31:30 - Epsilon3 Ad Break34:45 - Competitive landscape38:12 - Where is the satellite market heading?41:41 - Next big innovation in satellite technology?45:31 - Navigating fundraising and capital needs52:51 - Toulouse, the aerospace capital of Europe?55:13 - What company are you most excited about in the space industry?56:02 - Book/movie recommendation?• Show notes • Loft Orbital's website — https://www.loftorbital.com/Loft Orbital's socials — https://twitter.com/LoftOrbitalMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)

Tom Mueller is best known for his instrumental role at SpaceX as propulsion CTO, but he’s now turned his sights to his new venture, Impulse Space. Founded in 2021, Impulse aims to provide reliable and economical in-space transportation services. The company services include GEO/GTO/LEO logistics, in-orbit servicing, spacecraft life extension, active debris removal, and situational awareness.The company plans to operate within Earth’s orbit and beyond, including lunar and Mars missions, which Mueller believes will open the gateway to space resource transportation, asteroid mining, in-space manufacturing, and propellant depots.Last summer, the company announced a partnership with Relativity to launch the first private mission to Mars and just last week Orbit Fab announced that it would use a vehicle developed by Impulse Space for an in-orbit refueling demonstration.In addition to Impulse’s origin story, Mo and Tom discuss:Building propulsion systemsInitial target marketsEngineering thrusters vs enginesMira’s first mission this OctoberLessons learned (and memorable stories) from SpaceXAnd much more… This episode is brought to you by SpiderOak, a US-based software company that builds space cybersecurity products and solutions for civilian, military, and commercial space operations. Learn more at https://spideroak.com/ • Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and Ad spot 01:41 - Why rockets and why propulsion? 03:25 -Early work at TRW07:43 - Introducing Impulse 10:54 - The size of Impulse's market12:59 - First product: Mira 15:19 - Second product: Helios17:00 - Small thruster performance 20:31 - Competition in orbital transfer vehicles 22:16 - Chemical propulsion vs electrical? 23:10 - What are some of the elements/process of innovation that you're applying from SpaceX? 26:38 - Relativity mission 28:56 - Efficiency in getting propellant from the Moon vs the Earth 31:03 - Building and recruiting a team 33:22 - Spider Oak Ad break 34:29 - Why is launch so hard? 37:55 - How do you bounce back from failure? 38:52 - Future of rocket propulsion 40:42 - Starship and the future of engineering constraints42:26 - What other companies excite you? 43:32 - What's harder, designing a championship-winning F1 car or a new launch vehicle from scratch? 46:46 - Do you spend more time racing or tinkering? 48:19 - The future of racing electric vehicles? 49:41 - If you could race a lap in your favorite car, who would you take with you? 52:57 - Most memorable moment from your time at SpaceX 54:29 - When do you think we'll be back on the Moon? Mars?• Show notes • Impulse Space's website — https://www.impulsespace.com/Tom's socials — https://twitter.com/lrocketMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)

Space travel is about to get a lot more accessible. At least, that’s what Space Perspective cofounders and co-CEOs Taber MacCallum and Jane Poynter are saying. The company’s aim is to provide the quintessential astronaut experience to as many people as possible, focusing not on the rocket ride or microgravity, but on the view of Earth from space.In today’s Pathfinder podcast, Mo chats with both Taber and Jane from Space Perspective’s HQ near Cape Canaveral, FL. They discuss:Taber and Jane’s life’s work supporting crewed spacecraftThe origins of Space PerspectiveThe importance of seeing Earth from aboveThe advantages of balloon-based tourismSpace Perspective vs. competitorsThe future of space tourismAnd much more…And much more… This episode is brought to you by SpiderOak, a US-based software company that builds space cybersecurity products and solutions for civilian, military, and commercial space operations. Learn more at https://spideroak.com/ • Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and SpiderOak Ad 01:15 - Space Perspective overview08:22 - Taber & Jane's background16:53 - The conceptual beginnings of Space Perspective21:05 - Safety systems25:24 - SpiderOak Ad Break26:30 - Pricing, target market, target customer30:50 - First commercial flight?32:02 - The feeling of weightlessness33:20 - Handling anxious clients36:02 - Launch logistics39:40 - Advantages of launching from a ship41:00- Regulatory considerations43:10 - The long-term vision44:30 - A pioneer in the space industry48:15 - StratEx launch54:45 - Who are you taking to space?• Show notes • Space Perspective's website — https://spaceperspective.com/Space Perspective's socials — https://twitter.com/SpacePerspectivDr. Robert Zubrin on "Why Mars?" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S6k2LBJhacMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder 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/)