In today’s episode, we welcome on Joel Spark, cofounder and chief satellite architect at Spire. The “space-to-cloud” data and analytics provider flys a proprietary constellation of 100+ nanosatellites to collect and analyze data from Earth. The data spans weather forecasting, maritime domain awareness, aviation, and more. Spire is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and currently has a market cap of ~$150M. Today’s episode is brought to you by Kepler Communications, a company bringing the internet to space. A sneak peek The back half of our conversation focuses on Spire’s “Space Services” play, and the concept of space-as-a-service. Before that, though, we explore Joel’s journey into the industry and how he was “spacepilled,” and unpack the mind-blowing fact that Spire began as a KickStarter crowdfunding campaign. Here’s what else you can expect in Pathfinder #0037: The 80/20 principle of building complex hardware systemsThe primacy of vertical integration and agile developmentSpire’s Scottish roots and nanosat factory in Glasgow, ScotlandAIS, ADS-B, and identifying planes and ships at scaleWhy pulling analytics and insights from that data is often more important than the data itself: “Where is the ship going?” “Is the plane flying off course?”)Applying the tech platform analogy to Spire Space ServicesOur Max Q questions: What happens if a customer goes belly up? How big is the market, really, for hosted payloads?…there’s a whole lot more where that came from! After tuning in Pathfinder #0037, we’re confident you’ll come away with a comprehensive understanding of technical tailwinds, operational ethos, and management philosophy that drive Spire. • Chapters •00:01—Intro01:32—Sponsor02:09—Guest Intro03:43—How Joel was spacepilled…05:07—Spire's origins as a Kickstarter campaign 09:19—Reliability, uptime, and the 80/20 principle of being 12:04—How many satellites does Spire currently operate in space today?16:56—Agile development, vertical integration, operational tempo, and company culture18:55—AIS and ADS-B definitions 21:25—Can global identification of planes and ships only be done at scale from space? 23:33—Ukraine airspace closing + visuals of airspace data24:11—Are services like that Elon Jet tracker using Spire data? 26:56—Kepler Ad Break27:45—Spire as a “space to cloud” analytics provider30:25—How does Earth intelligence fit into all of this?33:01—The business model of “space as a service”37:10—Conceptualizing Spire as a tech platform40:32—What are your customers doing in space?43:48—Customers looking to launch constellations46:11—What happens if a Space Services customer goes belly up? 47:10—Do you and the team pay attention to your stock prices every day or phase it out?49:37—What’s the TAM of people, theoretically, of people trying to fly payloads on satellites? 52:42—Anything else before lightning round?54:07—Rapid fire questions + close of show • Show notes •Spire — https://spire.com/Spire Twitter — https://twitter.com/spireglobalRecent earnings — https://payloadspace.com/spire-q4-2022/Space Services — https://payloadspace.com/spire-q4-2022/ADS-B data in leadup to Russia's invasion of Ukraine — https://payloadspace.com/six-months-ukraine-war/Ryan's socials — https://twitter.com/Ryandoofy / https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfduffy/Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_uY3GaNf67hP-i6TRWF2n06xMv1kdkZ6Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes

Today, the Pathfinder podcast brings on its first married cofounder duo. Pathfinder #0036 is brought to you by Kepler Communications, a company bringing the internet to space. Find out more at https://kepler.space/Our guests today are Seyka and Brian Mejeur, the cofounders of AdAstra, an executive and technical headhunting firm primarily for space technology startups. Seyka, AdAstra’s CEO, draws on a long resume of recruiting gigs. Brian, the firm’s COO and CTO, worked mainly as a SpaceX propulsion engineer for seven years before AdAstra. The two have worked with Varda, Ursa Major, and other leading startups to place space talent (but their full customer list is confidential).By virtue of so many former SpaceX’ers matriculating into the climate tech world, Ad Astra also helps clean technology startups with talent acquisition. For all, think not entry-level but execs and founding teams. In fact, the recruiter duo even helped place a cofounder at a seed-stage startup. • A sneak peek •In today’s episode, Ryan, Seyka, and Brian also discuss: Where the space headhunters often focus their recruiting effortsA space hiring slowdown that coincided with funding dip in Q3 and Q4, with some seasonality-induced slowness mixed inHow and why hiring is ticking back up in 2023SpaceX’s “culture of extreme ownership and rapid iteration,” as Brian put itSeyka’s concept of a space talent funnelThe draws of being a mission-driven company and why excellent storytelling helps space startups attract top-flight talentEquity literacy (or lack thereof) with engineers looking to make the jump from a big company to a startup• Chapters •02:13 Guest intro and backgrounds09:06 Types of people you work with from both sides of the table 10:43 Passive vs active search for talent 13:10 Post & Pray 14:56 What do you look for in clients that you work with? 22:35 What have you observed recently about company creation and hiring trends 25:22 How do you convince talent to join your company? 29:32 Kepler ad break 30:20 Did the slowdown in funding for space reflect in hiring? 33:34 Hiring advice for CEOs and founders 35:27 Are there enough aerospace engineers in the workforce? 37:13 Funnel for this industry 42:21 Equity and comp discussion48:34 Is there a cut off for clients that are too big? 50:44 SpaceX mafia matriculating into climatetech 52:56 Predictions 55:56 Lightning round• Show notes •AdAstra — https://adastra.us/Seyka's LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/seyka Brian's LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-mejeur/Ryan's socials — https://twitter.com/Ryandoofy / https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfduffy/Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL\_uY3GaNf67hP-i6TRWF2n06xMv1kdkZ6Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes

When he was a senior Pentagon official, Charles (or Chuck) Beames and his fellow military planners would speak forebodingly about “a day without space.” The nightmare scenario would involve a wide-ranging attack, kinetic or otherwise, on space systems, which could produce cascading communications and navigation failures for the armed forces (and wreak havoc on civilian technology systems as well). While that scenario hopefully never comes to pass, space is no longer a sanctuary nor uncontested higher ground. And securing civil, commercial, and military spacecraft is the order of the day. Today's episode is brought to you by Kepler Communications, a company bringing the internet to space. To learn more about Kepler and how they are modernizing space communications, visit https://kepler.space/• Sneak peek •On Pathfinder #0035, Chuck joins Ryan for a conversation on reconnaissance, security, and the growing cyber threat in space. Among other things, Chuck is the executive chairman of SpiderOak, a startup focused on shoring up the digital defenses of satellites, space networks, and the ground segment. The company recently raised a $16.4M Series C to develop, test, and fly OrbitSecure 2.0. SpiderOak employs two novel security approaches—zero-trust encryption and distributed ledger technology (DLT)—to secure space assets, along with the creation, communication, and management of data. OrbitSecure wraps up the company’s design philosophy and latest defensive techniques into one offering. The product securely compartmentalizes data for complex, interconnected space infrastructure. That’s important, per SpiderOak, because “today, the horizontal integration of ground stations, spacecraft, and payloads means you’re trusting third parties with mission-critical data.” Rest of the resume: Chuck is also the executive chairman of York Space Systems, a satellite manufacturer, and cofounder/chairman of the SmallSat alliance. In a past life, Chuck held executive positions in the Pentagon and served as the president of Vulcan Aerospace, where he oversaw $1B of AUM invested in space and tech initiatives and directed the Stratolaunch project. In one of his government posts, Chuck oversaw a $90B annual acquisition budget mostly focused on remote sensing, space-based communications, and orbital launch services. Lastly, Chuck served 23 years on active duty as an Air Force space and intelligence officer, and retired as a colonel. • Chapters •02:30 Chuck joins show 03:18 SpiderOak mission + raise 07:29 Waking up to cyber threat from peer/near-peer adversaries 09:14 Thoughts on the Chinese spy balloon? 12:10 Balance of offensive vs. defensive capabilities on orbit 15:44 Cybersecurity and the gray zone 17:22 Vulnerabilities of space systems 19:37 Should space have its own critical infrastructure designation? 21:12 A day wthout space 27:15 SpiderOak using COTS 32:09 The zero trust security framework 37:10 What's unique about cybersecurity in space (vis-a-vis terrestrial applications) 45:36 Max Q 49:01 Staying focused while dealing with diverse mission needs across military, commercial, and civil space 53:24 Chuck's hobby • Show notes •Chuck's Twitter — https://twitter.com/ChuckBeamesBio — https://spideroak.com/executive-chairman/Recent TV appearance — https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6319232902112#sp=show-clipsOrbitSecure — https://spideroak.com/orbitsecure/Ryan's socials — https://twitter.com/Ryandoofy / https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfduffy/Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL\_uY3GaNf67hP-i6TRWF2n06xMv1kdkZ6Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes

Let's talk about geodesic dome habitats, concert halls in microgravity, space cathedrals, and a real-life Starfleet Academy. Our guest, Ariel Ekblaw, has been thinking about these topics and actively prototyping these ideas for a long time. Ultimately, she leads a number of initiatives focused on preparing humanity to become a thriving space-faring species. Bio in brief: Ariel is director of the MIT Space Exploration Initiative (SEI), as well as the cofounder and CEO of the Aurelia Institute. Situated within the MIT Media Lab, SEI supports 40+ research projects and includes a team of 50+ students, staff, and faculty. As for the Aurelia Institute, which is Ariel’s quote-unquote “new thing”...well, it’s a nonprofit space architecture R&D lab, education & outreach center, and policy hub. Ariel tells Ryan a bit more about what the institute has cooking for 2023.Today’s episode is brought to you by Kepler Communications, a new sponsor. Kepler is bringing the internet to space, and developing the infrastructure to support out-of-this-world communications. Find out more at https://kepler.space/Chapters00:00 Pathfinder’s new music 02:13 Welcome, Ariel 04:58 Media Lab’s mission 05:59 MIT Space Exploration Initiative 08:37 Engineers, artists, and scientists working together 10:39 Parabolic, suborbital, and orbital flights 11:44 What sci-fi works does Ariel draw inspiration from? 14:18 Taking an idea from conception to launch 17:26 The Aurelia Institute’s three main pillars 20:40 TESSERAE + self-assembling space architecture 24:27 New technology that pairs nicely with TESSERAE27:30 Swarm technology 28:57 Biomimicry 31:00 How would you use Starship or another next-generation launcher? 32:24 Anthropomorphic technology for space 35:56 The AI Age + space 41:34 Democratization…“Let’s take back the [redacted] word”...and expanding accessibility in space 44:37 The gateway drug to space exploration 49:21 Advice for young listeners looking to make a dent in the universe LinksAurelia – https://www.aureliainstitute.org/Aurelia Part 2 — https://payloadspace.com/a-conversation-with-ariel-ekblaw/Ariel’s Twitter — https://twitter.com/ariel_ekblawBio — https://www.media.mit.edu/people/aekblaw/overview/TESSERAE — https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/tesserae-self-assembling-space-architecture/overview/Ryan's socials — https://twitter.com/Ryandoofy / https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfduffy/Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_uY3GaNf67hP-i6TRWF2n06xMv1kdkZ6 // Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodesAbout usPathfinder 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/)

On today’s episode, we sit down with AJ Piplica, cofounder and CEO of Hermeus Corporation. The Atlanta startup aims to make hypersonic air travel a reality before the decade is out. AJ dialed into Pathfinder straight from the belly of the beast, i.e., Hermeus’s factory in Atlanta, which was abuzz with employees and machines whirling in the background. Today’s episode is brought to you by Altek Space.What is Hermeus up to?The Hermeus team is focused on shrinking the globe by developing the world’s fastest passenger aircraft. The timeline for that = 2029. In the meantime,  Hermeus recently selected Pratt & Whitney’s F100 turbofan for integration into its hypersonic engine, a move that the company claims will save it billions in R&D costs and years of schedule. Also in recent memory, Hermeus successfully demonstrated a turbojet to ramjet transition with its Chimera engine. Finally, Hermeus raised a $100M Series B last March to develop Quarterhorse and Darkhorse, its first and second hypersonic vehicles.Among other things, AJ and Ryan covered:— The startup’s origin story— The roadmap: Chimera → Quarterhorse → Darkhorse → Halcyon— What’s the state of hypersonics today?— How the Halcyon passenger aircraft will be designed— Derisking the business plan through iterative development and buying off the shelf— Lowering the cost of aircraft certification— Building in public and investing in marketing early on— Atlanta’s talent density and Hermeus’s recruiting effortsChapters02:40 – Welcome, AJ 06:02 – Hermeus's beginnings 10:49 – Rockets and ICBMs fly at hypersonic speeds...what's new here? (+ nice pun)14:24 – Why do planes fly slower today than decades ago? 20:14 – Chimera engine and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts 21:31 – Watch Chimera go turbojet –> ramjet 🔥🔥🔥24:28 – AJ's take on a hypersonics gap between the US and near-peer adversaries32:00 – How'd do you get VCs to bet on you so early on? 37:11  – Chimera → Quarterhorse → Darkhorse → Halcyon47:29 – UX for hypersonic airliners 49:03 – How do you back into your estimate that hypersonics could add $4T in GDP?!51:46 – All-in costs of bringing Halcyon to market54:05 – Outmaneuvering commercial competitors / defense primes57:19 – Status quo in government procurement 59:10 – Why build in public and invest in marketing so early on?  1:02:42 – Talent density in Atlanta  About usPathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand, and while we have designs on becoming the biggest space content company in the galaxy, for now, we publish: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, every Monday to Friday morning 2) Pathfinder, this podcast, on Tuesday mornings 3) ...and 💫Parallax!💫 on Thursday afternoons. Subscribe to our daily newsletter and find out more about Payload at www.payloadspace.com.

Today, Pathfinder turns the complexity up a notch by simultaneously welcoming two speakers onto the show. Matt Weinzierl and Brendan Rosseau research, write, and develop coursework at the intersection of space and economics. They teach MBA students at a business school just outside of Boston (why yes, we are indeed referring to Harvard Business School). Today’s episode is brought to you by Altek Space, which provides custom manufacturing of essential parts and components for rockets and satellites, including smallsats. Find out more at https://www.altek-inc.com/spaceWhy is HBS so invested in space?As Matt and Brendan wrote in a widely read Harvard Business Review essay, ”Your Company Needs a Space Strategy. Now.” The two join Ryan today to discuss the thinking behind this theory, along with: Space-for-space vs. space-for-EarthWhat types of students study space at HBS?The most encouraging signs of “innovism” on orbitWhy we’re living through an inflection point in spaceShould we prioritize human spaceflight or automation?The chicken and egg problem facing space station developersCould the commercial space market be in the middle of a bubble?…and more! Ryan quizzes the two on how their “space strategy” framework would apply to sectors ranging from semiconductors to consumer packaged goods, and probes for areas where the two disagree. You don’t want to miss this convo—it’s bound to shape how you think about the economics of space. Chapters00:00 – Intro 02:54 — Matt + Brendan bios03:50 — how’d you land here?08:59 — why HBS is teaching about space12:28 — professionalization of the space industry 14:18 — who’s taking space courses at HBS 17:36 — space hiring from Big Tech? 21:30 — the industry is at an inflection point25:18 — “Your Company Needs a Space Strategy. Now.” 29:43 — Applying that theory to e-commerce…31:03  …consumer packaged goods, and…32:37 …semiconductors34:23 — So…what’s HBS’s space strategy?!35:45 — Data, capabilities, resources, and markets37:04 — Space-for-space vs. space-for-Earth41:36 — Private vs. public players 43:44 — What in the world is innovism? 47:39 — KPIs for commercial success in space 55:32 — Thoughts on the launch market 1:02:35 — Commercial space bubble?1:05:06 — Lightning roundAbout usPathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand, and while we have designs on becoming the biggest space content company in the galaxy, for now, we publish: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, every Monday to Friday morning 2) Pathfinder, this podcast, on Tuesday mornings 3) ...and 💫Parallax!💫 on Thursday afternoons. Subscribe to our daily newsletter and find out more about Payload at www.payloadspace.com.

Jim served as the 13th administrator of NASA and spearheaded the launch of the Artemis program. During Jim’s watch, the US also returned to launching its own astronauts to orbit from US soil (with SpaceX). Jim’s bio will be familiar to most space buffs in Payload and Pathfinder’s audience, so in our convo, we dig a bit deeper on his backstory, get a status report on Artemis, and take a closer look at his current roles in the commercial space ecosystem.Today's episode is brought to you by Altek Space, a custom manufacturer of essential parts and components for rockets and satellites.*SNEAK PEEK*Serving as a US Navy aviator; landing on aircraft carriers; and TOP GUN…real life vs. the movieJim’s involvement in the Rocket Racing League and his time at the helm of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and PlanetariumServing in the US House as a representative of the 1st District of Oklahoma (and his HASC and SST committee membership)Working with an office of “space knuckleheads”—Jim uses that term endearingly—and honing his aerospace policy chops while on Capitol HillWhy going to the Moon vs. going to Mars was once an either-or, partisan debate on the HillJim’s time leading NASA, architecting the Artemis program, andHis post-NASA space involvement (which includes advisory or trustee roles with Voyager, Viasat, Phase Four, The Aerospace Corporation, Firefly, and Acorn Growth Companies)This is our longest show to date and for good reason. We had a lot of ground to cover, and yet we still didn’t get to Pathfinder’s planned segment about boots on Mars. Check out the episode and let us know what you’d want to hear in a Part 2.*CHAPTERS*02:54 Guest intro03:11 Jim's office photos03:37 Top Gun inspiration04:50 Does it surprise you the Navy wouldn't let Tom Cruise fly a jet?06:29 Journey into aviation, experience in the military, and using space assets in combat13:41 Rocket Racing League22:07 Trying to bring one of the Space Shuttles to Tulsa24:55 Time as an elected official31:51 American Space Renaissance Act37:05 Difference between approving NASA funding and running it42:48 Moon vs. Mars - why was it either-or and at times partisan?45:23 Why we should outsource some space functions to the private sector48:26 Artemis vs. Apollo54:32 Artemis I splashdown56:29 Advising space companies and organizations1:06:00 2022's biggest space story1:09:36 Worried about a shakeout in space markets?*SHOW NOTES*NASA's Artemis program: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/American Space Renaissance Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4945/textFirefly: https://payloadspace.com/firefly-production-ramp/Phase Four: https://payloadspace.com/phase-four-production/Rocket Racing League: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket\_Racing\_LeagueUS return to space: https://payloadspace.com/netflix-releases-return-to-space/Ryan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ryandoofy — & LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfduffy/Payload's Twitter: https://twitter.com/payloadspace — & LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace/*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 12,000+ decision-makers across commercial, civil, and military space.

For his first Pathfinder podcast of 2023, Ryan took a field trip to San Francisco to visit the 120,000-square foot digs of Astranis.Today's episode is brought to you by Altek Space, a custom manufacturer of essential parts and components for rockets and satellites.*SNEAK PEEK*For the uninitiated, Astranis aims to build small, cost-effective GEO satellites that will beam targeted chunks of broadband service down to under- or unconnected parts of Earth.The company got its start in 2016 and graduated from Y Combinator’s winter batch the very same year. Two years later, Andreessen Horowitz (or a16z) wrote its first check to a space startup when it led Astranis’s Series A. The space internet startup would later go on to raise $250M from the likes of BlackRock, Baillie Gifford, and Fidelity (i.e., blue-chip growth investors).In the coming weeks, the satellite unicorn is preparing to launch its first MicroGEO satellite into a geostationary orbit roughly 22,000 miles above our head. That first MicroGEO bird will provide Alaskans with a significant connectivity boost.The company has a lot more cooking, Astranis CEO and cofounder John Gedmark tells us on today’s episode.Along with Arcturus, its Alaskan satellite, Astranis plans to launch four more on a Falcon 9 later this year. As we saw firsthand, Astranis is ramping up production and satellite testing at its sprawling facilities, which have housed World War II ship makers, Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group, and now, software-defined satellite makersDuring our Pathfinder recording, Gedmark also broke some news about a key executive that Astranis recently hired. Read on for more. What else did we discuss? The value of GEO vs. LEO, bringing connectivity to Machu Picchu, buying an entire Falcon 9 rocket, use cases for space-based internet, geopolitics…and plenty more. Before we let him go, John also shared his personal 2023 goal, an under-the-radar sci-fi rec, and a very fun fact with us.*CHAPTERS*1:10 - Guest intro2:01 - Astranis HQ4:58 - Vocab7:52 - Why GEO?13:01 - Applying to YC17:31 - The best Demo Day story you’ll ever hear21:43 - Tech stack27:13 - Engineering tradeoffs29:50 - Business model35:48 - Launching with SpaceX40:40 - A big new hire46:52 - Threat surface in GEO55:13 - Who is the competition?*SHOW NOTES*John’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/gedmark Astranis’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Astranis Astranis: https://www.astranis.com/ Payload’s Astranis coverage: https://payloadspace.com/astranis-microgeo-testing-complete/ / https://payloadspace.com/astranis-arcturus-qa/ / https://payloadspace.com/astranis-and-telesat-strike-90m-deal-to-expand-connectivity-in-peru/*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 12,000+ decision-makers across commercial, civil, and military space. Payload began as a weekly newsletter sent to a handful of friends and colleagues. Today, we have three media properties and publish across multiple platforms. Our team is distributed across four time zones and two continents. We aim to inform but also educate and entertain, and we serve a highly concentrated audience of decision-makers in the commercial, civil, and military space sectors.While we have designs on becoming the biggest space content company in the galaxy, for now, we publish:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, every Monday to Friday morning https://payloadspace.com/2) Pathfinder, this podcast, on Tuesday mornings3) Parallax, our weekly science newsletter for the space industry, on Thursday afternoons https://parallax.beehiiv.com/  

Today's episode is sponsored by Altek Space, which provides custom manufacturing of essential parts and components for rockets and satellites (including SmallSats). Find out more at https://www.altek-inc.com/spaceOur guest host is Tess Hatch, a former aerospace engineer and current partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, where she invests in all things deep tech with a particular focus on the space industry. She’s backed industry-leading space companies like Spire Global ($SPIR) and Rocket Lab ($RKLB). Today, Tess is coming for Ryan’s job at the helm of Pathfinder.The interviewee: Payload’s own Rachael Zisk. Rachael joined the Payload team as our fourth employee in the early days of the daily newsletter and has been working to shape our coverage of the space industry ever since. She’s also the author of Parallax, Payload’s weekly newsletter covering all things space science.This week’s episode runs the gamut from the inner workings of Payload to musings on the future of the space industry. *SNEAK PEEK*Rachael’s roots in storytelling The duck boat photographer to science writer pipeline Joining Payload as employee #4 The highs and lows of the daily newsletter biz Two key ways to determine the success of a Payload story Plus: who Rachael would bring to space, the rocket she would take, and what her next Payload deep dive might cover.*CHAPTERS*01:12 Intro 03:05 Origin story...also, what's a duckboat? 04:23 Path to becoming a space reporter 07:06 How'd you end up at Payload? 10:40 Best part of the job, and where there's room for improvement 15:19 Day in the life 18:26 What makes Payload stand out to its readers? 21:13 The orbital debris dilemma 26:35 Why isn't MEO popular? (MEO = medium Earth orbit) 26:59 Rachael's next deep dive topic 33:05 Predictions for 2023 36:32 Tess's thoughts about 2023 41:34 Common misconception about Payload 43:43 Rapid fire questions *SHOW NOTES*Parallax: https://parallax.payloadspace.com/subscribe Rachael’s socials: https://twitter.com/rachaelzisk / https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelzisk/ Tess’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tesshatch/ / https://www.bvp.com/team/tess-hatch Rachael’s Payload profile: https://payloadspace.com/author/rachael-zisk/ Ada Ride’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ada_ride/?hl=en*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 12,000+ decision-makers across commercial, civil, and military space. Payload began as a weekly newsletter sent to a handful of friends and colleagues. Today, we have three media properties and publish across multiple platforms. Our team is distributed across four time zones and two continents. We aim to inform but also educate and entertain, and we serve a highly concentrated audience of decision-makers in the commercial, civil, and military space sectors.

What’s it like running a $11 billion dollar space business at a publicly traded company and managing a team of nearly 22,000? Or what about building the Orion spacecraft that just finished a 25-day trip around the Moon, and will carry astronauts on its next mission? In Pathfinder #0028, we'll get the answers to those questions and a whole lot more with Robert Lightfoot, the executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space and former acting NASA administrator.Today's episode is brought by Altek Space, which provides custom manufacturing of essential parts and components for rockets and satellites (including SmallSats). Find out more at https://www.altek-inc.com/spaceRobert leads the LM Space business, which is one of the four major divisions of its parent company. The $11 billion business line builds space technology systems for defense, civil, and commercial space customers. Its portfolio ranges from integrated systems for satellites to space-based missile defense capabilities to space observatories to interplanetary robotic spacecraft.Robert became EVP of LM Space on Jan. 1, 2022, so he’s coming up on his one-year anniversary. Prior to Lockheed, Robert spent 29 years at NASA, holding a variety of leadership roles and rising up the ranks to become associate administrator, the highest ranking civil service position at the agency. He served as the 11th director of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.*SNEAK PEEK*Though Robert is from Alabama, went to Bama, and led one of NASA’s key centers in the state, somehow we didn’t cover college football at all. But we did cover: An Artemis I postmortem and Orion’s performance during the mission Leading large organizations, first in the government and then at a Fortune 500 company“Protect, connect, and explore” as organizational guideposts Building space hardware at scale Recruiting and the importance of talent*CHAPTERS*0:00 intro3:51 Starting in space10:25 Engineer to leader19:30 Artemis I and Orion31:52 LM Space's portfolio..."protect, connect, and explore"41:05 Being part of a public company 46:19 Cost-plus vs. fixed-price contracts49:00 Future projects you're excited about54:32 Lightning round*SHOW NOTES*Full bio: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/who-we-are/leadership-governance/robert-lightfoot.htmlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-lightfoot-lm-spaceWebsite: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/space.htmlCompany Twitter: https://twitter.com/LMSpaceNDSA explainer: https://payloadspace.com/ndsa-explainer/*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 12,000+ decision-makers across commercial, civil, and military space. Payload began as a weekly newsletter sent to a handful of friends and colleagues. Today, we have three media properties and publish across multiple platforms. Our team is distributed across four time zones and two continents. We aim to inform but also educate and entertain, and we serve a highly concentrated audience of decision-makers in the commercial, civil, and military space sectors.