Tim Fernholz

While he’s helping the government figure out how to keep the current generation of astronauts safe and sound, Benjamin Kron is also drumming up excitement among the next generation of space fans. 

The 27-year-old tried her hand in fields from forestry to medical devices before she found her calling in the space sector.

“You can have the satellites, but if you can’t talk to them, it doesn’t really help at all,” Shaurya Luthra, cofounder and head of software at Northwood Space, told Payload. “We believe the ground industry of today is not ready for that boom.”

“I turned to the partners at Riot and said, ‘We should invest in this’…but I also turned to the partners and said, ‘Hey, I want to go and join them.’” That’s how Rosner wound up the second hire and head of product at True Anomaly

Roxanna Pakkar grew up in space hardware’s backyard—on the west side of LA, where her high school robotics team sought mentorship from engineers at nearby Boeing, Raytheon, and SpaceX facilities.

“The impact that I want to leave on this industry is less about developing the best rocket engine there ever was, although I want to do that too, and more about making sure the industry is more diverse, more inclusive, and more equitable,” Sheff said.