Podcasts

Pathfinder is Payload’s flagship podcast covering the booming business and pressing policy matters of space. We sit down weekly with the top shot-callers in space to keep you informed, entertained, and up-to date on the top news and trends beyond Earth. In this ~1 hour, talk show-style podcast, Pathfinder host Mo Islam interviews astronauts, administrators, founders, CEOs, military minds, policymakers, and more.

DNA of Space Companies, with Anton Brevde (IBX Inc.)

EPISODE SUMMARY Today’s Pathfinder episode features Anton Brevde, Chief Investment Officer of IBX Inc. IBX is a holding company consisting of Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, X-Energy, and Quantum Space. EPISODE NOTES What does a space station, a lunar lander, a nuclear reactor, and a fleet of cislunar space vehicles have in common? They’re all part […]

Systems Engineering for Space, with Steve Massey (Prewitt Ridge)

EPISODE SUMMARY Today’s Pathfinder episode features Prewitt Ridge cofounder and CEO Steve Massey. Prewitt Ridge is a software company that helps engineers manage engineering requirements in complex projects. The company’s software, Verve, captures and manages engineering requirements inside the tools where they originate and across complex datasets. EPISODE NOTES Picture a world where you can […]

Mining Asteroids, with Matt Gialich (AstroForge)

EPISODE SUMMARY Today’s Pathfinder episode features AstroForge cofounder and CEO Matt Gialich. The CA-based startup is developing technology to mine asteroids for platinum group metals. The company plans to use an uncrewed spacecraft to extract and refine the metals directly on the asteroid before returning to Earth with a sellable metal. EPISODE NOTES Today’s Pathfinder […]

From SpaceX to Phantom, with Jim Cantrell (Phantom Space)

EPISODE SUMMARY Today’s Pathfinder episode features Phantom Space cofounder and CEO Jim Cantrell. The Tucson-based space transportation company is focused on the mass production of rockets. EPISODE NOTES Today’s Pathfinder episode features Phantom Space cofounder and CEO Jim Cantrell. The Tucson-based space transportation company is focused on the mass production of rockets. Jim began his […]

Next-Gen Threat Detection, with Josh Steinman (Galvanick)

EPISODE SUMMARY Today’s Pathfinder episode features Galvanick cofounder and CEO Josh Steinman. The LA-based startup, which just announced a $10M seed round, is building cybersecurity solutions to protect industrial infrastructure. EPISODE NOTES While warfare used to mean dropping bombs and shooting bullets, modern conflict is increasingly seeing actors targeting an adversaries’ critical infrastructure with cyberattacks.  […]

VLEO Earth Observation, with Topher Haddad (Albedo)

EPISODE SUMMARY Today’s Pathfinder episode features Albedo cofounder and CEO Topher Haddad. The Austin, TX- and Denver, CO-based startup is pushing the boundaries of EO by offering aerial-quality imagery (optical and thermal to start) from space. EPISODE NOTES VLEO is a term that you don’t hear everyday in the space industry. It refers to “Very […]

Space Infrastructure as a Service, with Pierre-Damien Vaujour (Loft Orbital)

EPISODE SUMMARY This week’s episode features CEO and cofounder of Loft Orbital, Pierre-Damien Vaujour. The SF-based company provides a turnkey solution for launching, deploying, and operating small satellites, giving more players access to space. EPISODE NOTES How do you get Blackrock to lead your $140M funding round? You’ll have to listen to Loft Orbital’s CEO […]

From Merlin to Mira, with Tom Mueller (Impulse Space)

EPISODE SUMMARY Shying away from the limelight is an art Tom Mueller, has perfected. The SpaceX founding member and mastermind behind Impulse Space is not a frequent podcast flier, with only one previous episode in the wild (that we could find). However, Mueller recently agreed to jump into the hot seat on the Pathfinder pod. […]

The Future of Space Tourism, with Taber MacCallum & Jane Poynter (Space Perspective)

EPISODE SUMMARY In today’s Pathfinder podcast, Mo chats with cofounders and co-CEOs of Space Perspective, Taber MacCallum and Jane Poynter. Space Perspective aims to provide the quintessential astronaut experience to as many people as possible, focusing not on the rocket ride or microgravity, but on the view of Earth from space. EPISODE NOTES Space travel […]

Revolutionizing Space Security, with Even Rogers (True Anomaly)

EPISODE SUMMARY In today’s Pathfinder podcast, host Mo Islam chats with cofounder and CEO of True Anomaly, Even Rogers. True Anomaly develops spacecraft and software solutions to make space a protected harbor for the US and its allies. They are focusing on offering: operational testing, responsive operations, and space domain awareness. EPISODE NOTES In today’s […]

The Media Cofounder, with Ari Lewis (Payload)

EPISODE SUMMARY You’ve probably seen Ari in his natural habitat: flying around the country to events and conferences, sporting his trademark Payload baseball cap, helping companies understand why they need to partner with Payload. But today, the lifeblood of Payload’s sales engine sits down with fellow cofounder and Pathfinder host Mo Islam. EPISODE NOTES You […]

The Space Consultancy, with Kim Crider & Eddie Papczun (Elara Nova)

EPISODE SUMMARY Today, Pathfinder unveils an industry exclusive. An influential trio – Major General (Ret.) Kim Crider, Eddie Papczun, and Mike Dickey – veterans of A&D, have come together to launch Elara Nova, a consulting firm meticulously crafted to cater to the ever-expanding space industry. With illustrious careers under their belts, these three have held […]