Payload Pioneers 2024

Shaurya Luthra, Northwood Space

“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.”

Payload Pioneers 2024

Ari Rosner, True Anomaly

“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

Payload Pioneers 2024

Roxanna Pakkar, Rocket Lab

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.

Payload Pioneers 2024

Isabel Sheff, Relativity

“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.