Payload Pioneers 2024
We’re so excited to unveil our 2024 group of Payload Pioneers.
The caliber of this year’s group of 30-under-30 in the space industry blew us away. And the numbers back it up—the average score of a winner this year was 3+ points higher than those who made our 2023 list.
The 2024 Pioneers are working in every corner of the space industry from founding companies to building hardware to clean up orbit to writing policy to developing programs to reach the Moon. Many are also working with programs outside their day jobs to boost diversity in the sector, and inspire the next generation of the industry.
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
Arielle Cohen, Astroscale US
“The thing that draws a lot of people to Astroscale is the mission,” she told Payload. “It’s not often you see an overlap between aerospace and tech and sustainability.”
Atilla Saadat, Turion Space
As the driving force behind much of Turion Space’s technology stack, Sadaat is enabling systems to better track non-Earth objects in space.
Benjamin Kron, SAIC
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.
Eric Sundby, TerraSpace
Eric Sundby is on the hunt for ore—and he’s already been to DC to educate lawmakers on what he can do to help.
Estelle Van Praet, Aerospacelab
Estelle Van Praet helped put Aerospacelab on the map in Europe. Now, she’s trying to do the same in the US.
Guchuhan (Melody) Gao, Kepler Communications
The 27-year-old tried her hand in fields from forestry to medical devices before she found her calling in the space sector.
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.”
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.
Jeremiah Pate, Lunasonde
The AZ-based startup uses a blend of SAR, robotic systems, and proprietary software to hunt for resources beneath the surface of both Earth and other bodies in space, such as asteroids.
Konark Chopra, Astrobotic
Konark Chopra—who grew up traveling to food festivals with his restaurateur parents—began to dream of a space economy that could one day host a restaurant on the lunar surface.
Lewis Jones, Seraphim Space
After working with Seraphim Space in the UK as an investor, 28-year-old took on a new challenge in America, working with US startups as an investment VP at Generation Space, the US branch of Seraphim.
Luc Riesbeck, NASA
Luc Riesbeck is helping to make sure that the policy conversations surrounding space sustainability keep pace with the rapidly advancing tech.
M. Razlan Dhamir bin Hamdan, Aphelia Space
Hamdan is the co-founder, CTO, and CEO of Aphelia Space, a Malaysian startup that is trying to use microwave technology to beam power over long distances—potentially powering up sats in orbit or hardware on the Moon.
Matt Clancy, Relativity
Some people are motivated by titles, some by bringing humanity to the stars—but Matt Clancy is driven by good old-fashioned problem-solving.
Morgan Martell, True Anomaly
Morgan Martell will talk about space national security with anyone who will listen. And since joining True Anomaly as a government affairs manager nearly one year ago, she found that most folks on Capitol Hill are all ears.
Nicolas Gutierrez, Apex
When Apex’s first satellite was able to communicate successfully with earthbound operators after launch, it was tangible proof that Nicolas Gutierrez had accomplished his mission.
Nicolas Moraitis, Charter Space
As a regulatory affairs officer at Charter, the 25-year-old is working to demystify space law to help the firm’s clients understand the regulations that apply to them.
Nihar Agrawal, Aalyria
A bad Internet connection can lead to frustration. For Nihar Agrawal, it led to a career.
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.”
Pierre Rouzaud, Space Crew
When Rouzaud went to turn his lifelong interest in space and experience as a software developer into a career, he quickly discovered that the act of finding a job in the industry was no simple task. So he founded Space Crew, an aggregator of space industry jobs.
Richard Nederlander, Aegis Aerospace
Nederlander is building a software tool that will allow systems engineers to evaluate the holistic radiation risks of their spacecraft.
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.
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.
Sariah Fischer, Interlune
Sariah Fischer is ready for the next era in space exploration. So she’s helping to build it herself.
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.”
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.
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.