EPISODE SUMMARY
Today’s Pathfinder episode brings in Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, hot on the heels of the U.S. Space Force’s VICTUS NOX mission success.
EPISODE NOTES
Today’s Pathfinder episode brings in Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, hot on the heels of the U.S. Space Force’s VICTUS NOX mission success. Bill shares insights on the prep work that propelled the mission, with a nod to his past life helming a public company. The discussion offers a glimpse into the meticulous planning and execution required in modern space missions.
In addition, Mo and Bill chat:
- Firefly’s next-generation launch vehicle
- Working with Northrop Grumman
- Supply/demand dynamics of the launch market
- How hard it is to reach orbit
And much more…
This episode is brought to you by SpiderOak, a US-based software company that builds space cybersecurity products and solutions for civilian, military, and commercial space operations. Learn more at https://spideroak.com/
• Chapters •
00:00 – Introduction
01:47 – Bill’s background and how he got into the industry
08:12 – What is Firefly?
10:05 – Why is Firefly focusing on end-to-end transportation?
14:53 – Metrics of the Alpha launch vehicle
17:38 – Customer traction
20:19 – How hard is it to reach orbit?
22:30 – Being consistent on the easy stuff
26:12 – SpiderOak Ad
26:59 – The Victus Nox Mission
33:25 – Working with Northrop Grumman
36:50 – Reusability in the MLV
38:54 – Raising a Series C in today’s market
41:44 – A PE-backed company
45:08 – Will Firefly go public?
47:52 – Is the launch market crowded?
47:59 – What is happening to public aerospace stocks?
48:27 – When do you think space companies will be ready for IPOs?
49:22 – Areas of the market that are overhyped and underhyped
50:22 – Breakthrough technology to pay attention to
51:05 – Company outside of Firefly that you’re rooting for