Jacqueline Feldscher
JAXA Taps ArkEdge for Two Lunar Navigation Demos
Today’s Moon explorers won’t have the luxury of GPS-like tech for navigation. But JAXA is trying to change that for future lunar visitors.
Velos’ Election Day Tracker for Space
Space may not be top of mind when voters head to the ballot box, but Election Day outcomes still have a big impact on US policy and funding above the Kármán line.
Anna Shaposhnik, ORBES
Each astronaut hour in orbit costs $130,000. What if robots could help with some of the grunt work—while also giving the world a better view of living in space?
Kayla Bigham, FAA
Kayla Bigham grew up wanting to be an astronaut. Then, after learning about the Apollo 1 and Apollo 13 emergencies in elementary school, her goal shifted—she knew she wanted to keep space exploration safe.
Khushi Shah, Orbiventure
Shah was drawn to more “creative parts” of the space industry and is now creating art that’s touched down on the lunar surface.
Molly MacEachen, Mac’s Impact Consulting
Molly MacEachen wants to help companies comply with space-sustainability frameworks, but that market doesn’t exist today—so she’s building it herself.
Nicole Huimei Lee, MIT
Exercise is essential for astronauts in orbit, since microgravity causes rapid deterioration of bone density and muscle mass. But what if the astronauts could multitask?
Risha Das, MIT
Space is now widely viewed as the newest warfighting domain. Ritisha (Risha) Das is working to make sure it can be used for peace as well.
Clay Ito, OpenC3
“We just want people to get started so they can focus on the mission, and not all the tinkering,” he added.
Isobel Porteous, EarthTraq
What do a bird, a shipping container, and a polar bear have in common? They can all be tracked with tech from EarthTraq.
Naresh Kannan, OrbitAID
“My primary goal was to build the credibility of this domain in India,” he said. “Everyone was thinking, ‘This is a little bit too far-fetched.’”
Marc Galobardes Esteban, Amura Space
Marc Galobardes Esteban cofounded Amura Space (formerly known as CISGAM Inc.) in 2025, to rethink how the space industry approaches propulsion in orbit.
Colorado Springs, Huntsville Team Up on Golden Dome
“It’s a transformed relationship between Colorado Springs and Huntsville,” Rep. Jeff Crank (R-CO) told Payload. “When I took office, I don’t think it was a bad relationship, but it was one where both communities were kind of looking over their shoulder at the other. That wasn’t good for America, and I don’t think it was good for Colorado Springs or Huntsville either.”
