We’re 20 weeks into publishing the Pathfinder podcast—and we have a great episode in store for you to mark the occasion. Our guest is Laura Crabtree, cofounder and CEO of Epsilon3.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Spaced Ventures, Pathfinder’s new sponsor.The company is building the world’s first space investment portal, offering direct access to investment deals and letting anyone back innovative space startups. Find out more here.
Now, let’s dive in—Epsilon3 has developed an operating system (OS) for space missions. The streamlined software tool helps space companies keep tabs on complex engineering, testing, and operational procedures. Epsilon3’s customers include Inversion, Orbit Fab, Virgin Galactic, Firefly, Stoke, Stratolaunch, and Privateer, among other companies.
Laura began her space career at Northrop Grumman, before moving on to SpaceX, where she helped put the US back in the human spaceflight biz. She worked on the Dragon ops team and was on the console for the spacecraft’s first flight, its first mission to the ISS, and subsequent commercial crew programs. She also worked on the F9 and Dragon Recovery teams.
We start by running through some highlights from Laura’s time at SpaceX and a brief discussion of the Commercial Crew program. Then, we dig into the software tools that the Epsilon3 team is building and why the space industry needs it.
Here’s a sneak peek of some of the questions Ryan asks Laura:
- Why are space missions being tracked or managed on pen and paper, Microsoft Word, or Excel?
- What gave you the confidence that the space industry is big enough to support a software startup focused on the vertical?
- What precautions does the company take to adhere to ITAR and ensure end-to-end security?
- How are Epsilon3’s tools being applied beyond space, in fields like hypersonics and underwater robotics?
- What’s the story behind the company’s name?
There’s much more, including this custom meme we made for the episode:
Enjoy the Pathfinder #0020 conversation—you’re guaranteed to learn something new.
