Far-flung exploration or long-term living in space is likely to rely on resources found in orbit, and Jeremiah Pate wants to help find them. The 25-year-old is the founder and CEO of Lunasonde, a startup that seeks to solve the problem of resource categorization in space.
“As humans evolve into a space faring species, the need for critical minerals and space intelligence will grow exponentially,” Pate wrote in his Pioneer application. “Lunasonde will be providing these solutions from the moment the early adopters of space living begin en masse and civilization begins its momentous journey to [find] refuge in the stars.”
Tech specs: The AZ-based startup uses a blend of SAR, robotic systems, and proprietary software to hunt for resources beneath the surface of both Earth and other bodies in space, such as asteroids.
Pate specifically mentioned how crucial Lunasonde will be in the effort to track water, a critical piece of the long-term space mission puzzle that’s been a focus of NASA, since it can be used for life support and can be split to produce rocket fuel.
“Water is not something that you can readily detect from the surface,” he said. “So, over the next two years that’s going to be our main focus area simply because it’s a very timely issue…, mapping these underground deposits.
What’s next: The company has already flown a handful of test flights on SpaceX rideshare missions. San Xavier, its 6U satellite, is expected to launch next year on Transporter-14, and Bisbee, its first near-asteroid satellite, is expected to launch in 2026.
A piece of advice: Pate’s tip for entrepreneurs? Fall in love with your idea.
“When you start a company, you can’t be lukewarm about your idea,” Pate said. “You gotta be really passionate about your idea. Because the important thing is that when you have that idea that spurs a company—nobody else in the world will care as much about that as you.”
