Uncategorized

Pathfinder #0015, featuring Kelly Larson

By Ryan Duffy
Share

We have a rare Wednesday release of the Pathfinder podcast, but we promise the wait was worth it.

Joining us today is Kelly Larson, who’s the CEO of Aquarian Space. The Boulder, Colorado startup is building “internet for the solar system.” Or, to get a bit more technical, Aquarian is developing a communications network for interplanetary exploration.

In March, Aquarian announced it had raised $650,000 in seed funding to get to work on its solar system internet. Draper Associates led the seed round, which is especially notable because Draper was an early investor in SpaceX.

What we cover in today’s episode

For starters, we get a status report on what Aquarian’s been up to over the last six months. But there’s plenty more on tap, such as:

  • How Kelly landed at Aquarian, with a serial entrepreneur background and non-space resume 
  • NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) and new opportunities with today’s technology 
  • Going to market with CLPS rovers and landers
  • What a lunar Wi-Fi network will look like and its first applications
  • The capital required for the initial network buildout
  • Is Kelly worried about aliens free-loading on Aquarian’s Wi-Fi?

…and more! Come for the above topics, stay for ever-so-brief discussions of yoga and astrology (Ryan’s totally unbiased opinion: Aquarians rule).

Where to get Pathfinder #0015

Share

Upcoming Events

Return Home
Related Stories
Policy

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator

At long last, NASA has a head again. That someone will be Jared Isaacman—now that the Senate has confirmed the billionaire private astronaut and entrepreneur—for whom the second time was the charm. The Senate voted 67–30 in favor of the appointment.

Polaris

How Space RCO Wants to Go Faster

The Space Force’s Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO) was established in 2018 to buy space tech and get it into troops’ hands as fast as possible—but according to its director, it’s not going fast enough thanks to barriers outside the organization.

Space 2025 • Sponsored Content

Common Sense: Avoiding Single-Source Dependency in Government Contracts

Today, as the U.S. Department of War increasingly relies on critical space assets—from satellite communications to reconnaissance platforms—officials should heed Paine’s timeless advice: apply common sense. Entrusting national security capabilities to a single commercial provider contradicts that wisdom, creating vulnerabilities where strategic stability depends on private agendas or individual personalities. Avoiding single-source dependency is not just a strategic choice—it’s a national security imperative.

ISS • Space 2025

CLDs: 2025 Wrapped

The space community has long known that the ISS agreement has a 2030 expiration date. But this year, headlines about the end of the station—and debates about America’s presence in LEO—have shifted the focus beyond 2030 to the companies building Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) vying to be the station’s successor.