Payload Pioneers 2024

Hilary Cohen, HEO USA

“People are always afraid we’re gonna take pics of US spy sats and government sats. As an organization, we don’t do that.”

Payload Pioneers 2024

Omar Pimentel, Defense Innovation Unit

“The last thing we want to do is find cool tech…but [not be able to] bring it to market because of regulatory burdens.”

Payload Pioneers 2024

Luc Riesbeck, NASA

Luc Riesbeck is helping to make sure that the policy conversations surrounding space sustainability keep pace with the rapidly advancing tech.

Payload Pioneers 2024

Trisha Saxena, NATO Innovation Fund

Based in the UK, the 27-year-old works as an investment associate at the NATO Innovation Fund, a VC fund that invests in the latest technology that will protect citizens of NATO nations. 

Payload Pioneers 2024

Tristan Knotts, Deloitte

“He is a go-to resource for space market insights across the 450k+ person firm and regularly conducts internal training and knowledge sessions,” Avinav Sinha, a senior manager in Deloitte’s space practice, wrote in his nomination. 

Payload Pioneers 2024

Robin Dickey, US House

“I thought, maybe I should do space policy if I’m mad about policy people not caring enough about space,” the 27-year-old told Payload.

Launch

SpaceX Catches Starship Booster In Historic First

SpaceX nailed the first attempted catch of a Super Heavy booster on Sunday morning, making history and paving the way to Starship reusability.

Polaris

EO Providers Defend Their Spectrum Access

Commercial EO providers contribute to sectors ranging from agriculture to climate monitoring to defense—and now they’re banding together to make sure policymakers know the results of an administration-ordered study could put all of that in jeopardy.

Polaris

A Roundup From The Space Capitol Forum

The space community gathered at Payload’s first Space Capitol Forum on Tuesday to talk about ways for policy to adapt and better support the rapid advancements in space tech.

BusinessLEO

Anduril, Apex Team Up to Serve Government Customers

The defense tech startup announced Tuesday that it will use Apex’s satellite buses for missions ranging from space situational awareness to missile warning and tracking, according to a press release. 

CivilDebris

NASA, Starfish Partner on SSPICY Debris Inspection 

NASA is kickin’ it up a notch on a SSPICY mission to check out a defunct sat in LEO. Starfish Space will work on the program—formally known as the Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability mission—under a Phase III SBIR contract from the space agency worth $15M over three years, NASA announced on Wednesday. A…

Polaris

Space Foundation Looks to Boost DC Presence

“I don’t care what way you look at this,” she told Payload. “Farming, national security, commercial—whatever angle you take, space affects us every day.”

EuropeInternationalLaunch

French Launcher Sirius to Fly From Australia

Under the deal, Sirius will become a resident launcher at Arnhem Space Centre in 2025, with the first test flight of its SIRIUS 1 rocket coming in 2026