Prompting NASA’s New AI Chief, David Salvagnini
“Everyone will, in some way, have their workday augmented using some type of an AI technology.”
Q&A
Q&As with leaders from space industry, government, and national security.
An Exit Interview with DoD Space Policy Chief John Plumb
As the Pentagon’s space policy chief John Plumb prepares to leave office, his departing message is simple: don’t destroy space.
A Q+A with the Norwegian Space Agency Chief
Norway is preparing to launch two satellites this summer to boost comms in the Arctic amid increasing tension in the region between NATO allies and Russia, the head of the Norwegian Space Agency told Payload.
A Q+A With Theresa Condor, COO of Spire
Spire Global ($SPIR) may be in the space-based RF sensing business, but to COO Theresa Condor, it’s all about solving problems for real people down on Earth.
Understanding AI’s Impact on Space Data with Planet’s Head of Product
Payload spoke to Nate Gonzalez, Planet’s head of product, to understand what the last year of AI hype means for earth observation companies like his.
Rep. Eric Sorensen on Space Travel, Safety and Shuttle Ties
A space leader on Capitol Hill is looking at how to eliminate gaps between the agencies that oversee human spaceflight over concerns about maintaining the highest safety standards. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL), the ranking member of the House space subcommittee, pointed out the multitude of groups that have a hand in regulating spaceflight, from the […]
A Q+A with Sita Sonty, Space Tango CEO
Sita Sonty has only been CEO of Space Tango for a couple weeks, but she already has big plans for the company, including opening a new fundraising round and growing the startup’s global client base. “Details are in the works. It is a private, friends and family round,” she told Payload. “A big part of […]
Q&A with ispace US CEO Ronald Garan
The countdown has started on ispace’s NASA-backed date with the Moon in June 2025, and the US team has locked itself in a room this week to game out the details. The company began a four-day exercise on Monday akin to a military-style wargame that will help the company zero in on when the spacecraft […]
A Q&A with Artemis II Astronaut Christina Hammond Koch
On Monday, NASA announced the four Artemis II astronauts who will travel around the Moon aboard the Orion capsule next year. NASA selected Christina Hammock Koch, who holds the record for longest continuous spaceflight by a woman at 328 days, as a mission specialist for the flight. She is the only professional engineer on the […]
Ursa Major, Vector Launch Strike Engine Deal
Ursa Major has struck a deal to supply Vector Launch with “several” propulsion systems, the company tells Payload. Ursa’s Hadley engines will power the main stage of the Vector-R launch vehicle in future demonstration missions for national security customers. A word on Vector: The seven-year-old startup, which has raised more than $180M, declared bankruptcy in […]
Exclusive: Quub Emerges from Stealth Mode, Announces Two Air Force Contracts
Today, satellite startup Quub emerged from stealth mode with two Air Force contracts in tow. Pronounced like “cube,” the Lancaster, PA-based startup bills itself as a “data company,” placing an emphasis on the value of its eventual downstream analytics products. But don’t get it twisted—Quub is taking a verticalized approach to Earth observation (EO) and […]
Lessons from Artemis: A Q&A with Former NASA Astronaut Jim Reilly
NASA’s triumphant return to the Moon has begun. Right now, Artemis I is coming to an end, as the Orion capsule hurtles back from lunar orbit for a planned splashdown this weekend. Over the next few years, NASA is planning to lay the groundwork to prepare for long-haul trips to Mars. There’s a lot of […]