Douglas Gorman
VC Investors Weigh the Impact of Europe’s Major Merger
Payload spoke with a handful of venture capital firms on the continent, and the overwhelming sentiment was the same: Startups are going to be just fine.
ESA Unveils Worrying Space Health Index
ESA’s Health Index for the space environment currently sits at a 4. For reference, 1 is the threshold for long term orbital sustainability.
Nyxara is Building Lasers To Pierce the Clouds
In the world of optical communications, cloudy days are bad for business.
Quantum Space Readies its Ranger Spacecraft to Fly in 2026
The first wave of Golden Dome spacecraft is about to start boot camp.
Muon Space Will Tap into Starlink’s Laser Network
Muon Space will integrate Starlink’s mini-laser terminals into future iterations of Muon’s Halo satellite platform as soon as 2027.
Europe Eyes 2026 As 1st Ariane 64 Flight Pushes
In Europe, many first launches originally aiming to fly in 2025 will spend New Year’s at home.
Astron Systems’ Launches Are Booked Through 2030
If you want to launch from Europe, be prepared to queue for a while.
Beyond Gravity Boosts Production of its Solar Array Tech
This week, Beyond Gravity became the latest European parts manufacturer to expand its production facility.
Payload’s Lunar and Mars Economy Summit: Day 2
To anyone worried about “militarizing” the Moon, Jim Bridenstine has some sage advice: get over it.
Impulse Space Sets its Sights on the Moon
Getting to the Moon is about to get a whole lot easier—at least, if Impulse Space can execute on its new mission.
Annika Rollock, Aurelia Institute
Annika Rollock knew she wanted to work in the space industry the first time she saw Apollo 13—not as one of the astronauts flying the mission, but as one of the engineers keeping the spacecraft’s team alive.
Eamon Lawson, Southern Launch
In 2018, Australia passed its first regulatory framework for civil space activities. Lawson was among the first lawyers to hack his way through the new legalese—and make it out unscathed, on the other side.
Darren Charrier, KSAT
“Helping our species become interplanetary seems like the best thing you can do with your life,” Charrier told Payload. “Every step of my career…kind of zigzags, but keeps going towards that.”
