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This episode of the Space Industry podcast by satsearch is a conversation with Laura Crabtree of satsearch Trusted Supplier Epsilon3.Epsilon3 is a US-based software company working to modernize space missions, and other areas of industry, through automation and engineering and operational software.In the podcast we discuss:How Laura's industry experience, at SpaceX and Northrop Grumman, has shaped Epsilon3How manufacturing companies can realistically incorporate automation step by stepGaps in the Tracking, Telemetry, and Command (TT&C) process chain and ecosystem where automation can have the most benefitsHow Epsilon3 can improve reliability and reduce team workloads through real-time data visualization, integrated command and telemetry, and comprehensive traceabilityFuture plans for the businessYou can find out more about Epsilon3 here on their satsearch supplier hub https://satsearch.com/suppliers/epsilon3.And if you would like to learn more about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our newsletter https://satsearch.com/mailing-list.[Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/when-we-get-there License code: Y4KZEAESHXDHNYRA]
This episode of the Space Industry podcast by satsearch is a conversation with Laura Crabtree of Epsilon3.Epsilon3 is a US-based software company on a mission to modernize space missions by building the industry standard of operational software. In the podcast we discuss:Laura's own personal motivation in the space industry and her professional background - including work at Northrop Grumman and SpaceXHow the emerging mission operations requirements of new space companies led to an opportunity to create Epsilon3Trends in digital transformation and software operations in the space industryHow Epsilon3 ensures security and the question of cloud-based vs. on-premise software deploymentHow software tools and digital processes are improving and speeding up assembly, integration, and testing (AIT)How space companies should deal with failure, and use it to build their brand narrativeYou can find out more about Epsilon3 here on their satsearch supplier hub https://satsearch.com/suppliers/epsilon3.And if you would like to learn more about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our newsletter https://satsearch.com/mailing-list.[Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/when-we-get-there License code: Y4KZEAESHXDHNYRA]
The future of space operations. In it we discuss how software is making launches safer, AI co-pilots for complex workflows, predictive simulations, El Segundo and new deep tech hubs, and upcoming interstellar missions. Laura Crabtree is CEO of Epsilon3, a software platform to manage and orchestrate engineering, testing and operations for the space industry and other complex industries. Backed by frontier investors Lux Capital and Village Global, Epsilon serves NASA, Virgin Galactic and United States Space Force. Their software is embedded throughout the organization and seeks to drive operational excellence amongst the complex chaos. Laura spent a decade within SpaceX as Senior Mission Operations Engineer as well as 5 years at Northrop Grumman as a Systems Controller, providing us a unique perspective of the two generations of space companies. Subscribe for the latest episodes. Email me on danieldarling@focal.vcSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on Pathfinder, we're joined by Sid Dixit, former CTO of Maxar and a seasoned leader in the space industry. Sid's career spans pivotal roles at Planet, Amazon, and Maxar, where he has been at the forefront of satellite technology, artificial intelligence, and geospatial data platforms.Our discussion delves into the transformative impact of generative AI and large language models on satellite imagery analysis, the evolving landscape of commercial and government demand for Earth observation data, and the potential commoditization of satellite imagery. We also explore:– The role of SpaceX and its impact on the LEO market– Challenges and opportunities for Earth observation startups– The future of satellite imagery quality and its market needs– Investment strategies within the industry– Promising Earth observation startupsThis episode is brought to you by Epsilon3, a cloud-based platform that supports a wide range of operational procedures requiring extreme efficiency and control. Innovative teams at NASA, Blue Origin, Redwire, and Firefly Aerospace use it to plan, execute, and automate their most complex workflows. • Chapters • • Show notes • Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload's socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us • Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We're also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world. Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we're a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern 2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com) 3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays 4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece, comes out on Wednesdays You can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/ • Chapters •00:00 Intro & Epsilon Ad01:24 Sid's journey from Planet, Amazon, and Maxar04:57 Sid's robotics work at Amazon07:24 How Sid got back into Earth observation08:21 Maxar's acquisition11:11 Advent and BCI's end goal13:20 State of Earth observation18:50 SpaceX's potential impact on LEO23:04 If SpaceX goes after remote sensing, what will happen to all the companies operating in LEO?25:37 Commercial demand28:31 Do you see imaging tech as improving marginally or step-wise?34:14 Will AI help open up the commercial market?41:05 Who's the winner when it comes to the use of models in EO?45:07 Will satellite imagery become commoditized?46:48 At what point will imaging quality improvements be enough?49:03 If you were managing $1m, how much of it would go to EO?51:20 EO startups to look out for52:54 Overview
This week on Pathfinder, we're joined by Sinead O'Sullivan, an economist and board member of the European Space Policy Institute. Sinead has had a unique career, from her early days in aerospace engineering in Northern Ireland to significant roles on Wall Street and at top academic institutions like Georgia Tech and Harvard. In her free time, she's written about space, economics, wine, and even music for publications such as the Financial Times, Vogue, and The New Yorker—because who doesn't love a little light writing and high-profile journalism to unwind?Our discussion explores the intricate dynamics of public vs. private funding in the space industry and the challenges posed by venture capital and institutional investments. In addition, we discuss:Capital destruction in new technologiesThe importance of institutional capital…if the industry can maintain its growthThe future of space financingThis episode is brought to you by Epsilon3, a cloud-based platform that supports a wide range of operational procedures requiring extreme efficiency and control. Innovative teams at NASA, Blue Origin, Redwire, and Firefly Aerospace use it to plan, execute, and automate their most complex workflows. • Chapters •00:00 Intro & Epsilon ad01:16 Sinead's background07:56 Engineer or Economist?09:49 Sinead, the writer12:14 Public vs private funding sources20:00 The sustainability of current private-first funding mechanisms28:14 Role of DoD in supporting startups46:39 What will make institutional capital take the space industry seriously?55:31 Space financing in 10 years01:00 Irish modern art • Show notes •Sinead's socials — https://twitter.com/SineadOS1Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload's socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We're also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we're a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece, comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/
Our guest this week not only has a PhD in theoretical astrophysics but is also a pilot, musician, entrepreneur, language enthusiast, and a thought leader on how humanity can create a better future for itself. No, we're not constructing a dating profile, but describing Casey Handmer, the founder of Terraform Industries, a startup focused on scaling technologies to produce cheap natural gas with sunlight and air. Today, Casey joins us not to talk shop about his company's innovations but to share his vast knowledge on a subject he's deeply passionate about—Starship, Starlink, and the future of space exploration. Casey has been a prolific writer on these topics, sharing his insights and analyses on his blog since first discussing Starship in 2019. He has a very clear message: the industry significantly underestimates what Starship is capable of and the impact it will have on society at large.Additionally, Mo and Casey chat:The Artemis program and NASA's futureThe role of Starlink in societyMars exploration and humanity's futureEnergy production beyond fossil fuelsThe future of science fictionAnd much, much more…this is one of the most special discussions we've had, so don't miss it.This episode is brought to you by Epsilon3, software for complex engineering, testing, and operational procedures. Learn more at https://www.epsilon3.io/• Chapters •00:00 - Intro & Epsilon Ad02:45 - Career arc and Terraform Industries06:33 - Humanity will move beyond fossil fuels by 204009:33 - Everyone must read Casey's blog10:13 - Is Starship still misunderstood?16:12 - In what ways does Starship challenge traditional design philosophies19:33 - Launch capacity22:25 - $10m launch costs25:14 - Epsilon Ad Break25:43 - HLS & why Artemis hasn't been redesigned28:24 - Thoughts on Blue Moon29:43 - Why does a non-Starship Artemis program not move the needle?34:18 - Mars & NASA36:47 - Is Mars a business?37:55 - Startups building in this new regime41:09 - Starship IFTs42:36 - When will we see the first payload deploying Starship launch?43:18 - Does the Starlink model work without Starship?44:28 - Is the Falcon enough to replenish Starlink satellites?45:24 - Will there be political support for a future with Starship?52:05 - How will Starship affect the science fiction genre? • Show notes •Casey's blog — https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/Terraform's website — https://terraformindustries.com/Casey's socials — https://twitter.com/CJHandmerMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload's socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 15,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We're also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we're a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing three media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/)2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)
Every quarter, Lux Capital, a leading venture capital firm known for investing in hard science and deep tech startups, publishes their investor letter offering a unique opportunity to gain insight into the firm's investment thesis and strategy. The firm has been an early supporter of the space industry with early bets in companies like Relativity Space, Epsilon3, Impulse Space, Astranis, Kymeta, Varda, Planet, and Hadrian.This week's Pathfinder features a deep dive on the firm's latest Q3 letter with General Partner Shahin Farshchi. In addition to Shahin's own background, the conversation covers:Lux's fundraise success having recently closed Lux 8, a $1.15B venture fundThe firm's investment thesis emphasizing the importance of non-consensus hypothesesGeopolitical shifts and how they're impacting long-term investingThe role of media and the importance of informative and nuanced reportingAnd much more…Lux's Q3 Investor Letter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s5xiwjG9psi6xRQPsAcI-I7-g6k5Pe--/viewThis 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 - Guest Intro & SpiderOak Ad01:18 - The Lux 8 fundraise02:33 - Shahin's background06:38 - How was Lux started10:10 - The firm's structure11:48 - A&D over the next decade15:30 - Investment highlights17:35 - Geopolitical shifts19:57 - A look at American Dynamism23:41 - Do you need to be a scientist to be a deep tech investor?27:03 - A thesis-driven strategy33:05 - Advice for emerging managers39:11 - The role of media42:33 - Starship launch predictions43:17 - The second most valuable space company • Show notes •Lux's website — https://www.luxcapital.com/Lux's socials — https://twitter.com/Lux_CapitalShahin's socials — https://twitter.com/FarshchiMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload's socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 15,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We're also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world. Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers.Today, we're a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing three media properties across multiple platforms: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/) 2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com) 3) Polaris, our weekly policy publication, hits inboxes Tuesday (https://polaris.payloadspace.com/) 4) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)
Laura is the CEO and Co-Founder of Epsilon3. Among the initial members of the operations team for SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, she helped put the US back in the human space flight business. Laura wants to continue to revolutionize the space industry, beginning with operational tools. She believes that no matter what your specialty, no matter where you attended school, and whatever your talents may be, there is a place for you in the space industry. Find Laura and her company, Epsilon3 at www.epsilon3.io Connect with Laura on LinkedIn at: Linkedin.com/lauracrabtree linkedin.com/epsilon3inc and on twitter: @epsilon3inc twitter: @llcrabbie More about Laura: Laura was one of the Crew Operations & Resource Engineers (CORE) who helped put the United States back in the human Space Flight business. Among the initial members of the operations team for SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, she was also on console for the first Dragon mission in 2010, the first mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2012, and part of the commercial crew contract over the next decade—including the mission that delivered astronauts to the ISS in 2020. During that mission, Laura was the lead trainer for the crew and one of the CORE operators who communicated to and advocated for the crew during free flight. Laura's proudest moment was receiving a call on her personal cell phone from Astronaut Doug Hurley when he was orbiting above the earth and operating both the first commercial cargo and crew vehicles in free flight. During her time at SpaceX, Laura was also a part of the early F9 Recovery, Dragon Recovery, and Dragon operations teams. She was responsible for crew and ground operator flight training, flight software test, CONOPs development and simulator design. Over the years, Laura authored, tested and executed hundreds of procedures for both the ground operations teams and the crew onboard Dragon. Laura began her career at Northrop Grumman working various programs for DARPA and other DoD customers. She has a Bachelor's in Astronautical Engineering and a Master's in Systems Architecture, both from the University of Southern California.
Space launches have become very common, in fact, multiple times a week is now the norm. Each launch takes a well choreographed set of operations to get payload to space. But what goes on behind the scenes to make this happen? On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Laura Crabtree, CEO of Epsilon3. Current mission tools are neglected in a program lifecycle, creating inefficiency, errors, and added costs over the course of a project. Epsilon3 arms operators with the best possible tools throughout an entire project's lifecycle, which result in 10X more efficiency and operator-friendliness. "The operator is not going off to do analysis. They need information in front of them quickly. So, how do we give them information quickly? You want to string together what happened yesterday, what happened two weeks ago, with what's going to happen tomorrow, and if you have everything on one platform, you have the string to do that," Crabtree said. A graduate of the University of Southern California, Laura worked at both SpaceX and Northrop Grumman Corporation prior to co-founding Epsilon3 with Max Mednik.
Nuclear technology is having its moment, according to Zeno Power cofounder and CEO Tyler Bernstein.NASA has used radioisotope tech since the 1960s, but the systems have historically been too expensive and heavy to be widely used. Zeno Power, which develops radioisotope power systems (RPS) that are lighter, more efficient, and more cost-effective than legacy systems, is trying to change that.How it works? Zeno Power's RPS works by converting the heat from decaying radioisotopes into electricity. Its initial system uses Strontium-90 (Sr-90), an abundant and affordable fuel that has been used in thousands of legacy RPSs. The core innovation is in the fuel design and shielding technology, a key issue given Sr-90's radioactive properties.The company has had a recent string of commercial successes, including a number of unannounced contracts, but some of the public wins are:A $30M STRATFI contract awarded in May to build a radioisotope-powered satellite for the U.S. Air Force by 2025.A $15M NASA Tipping Point award to develop an Americium-241 (Am-241) radioisotope Stirling generator (RSG) for long-duration lunar missions.This week's Pathfinder episode features Tyler Bernstein, Zeno Power's CEO. The company was founded in 2018 by Tyler and two other Vanderbilt undergrads after working on a project to design a nuclear reactor for a Boeing 777. Today, Mo and Tyler discuss:Zeno Power's origin storyA brief history of nuclear power in spaceThe benefits of using radioisotope power systemsThe future of fission and fusionAnd much more…This episode is brought to you by Epsilon3, software for complex engineering, testing, and operational procedures. Learn more at https://www.epsilon3.io/• Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and Ad Break 01:46 - Who is Tyler Bernstein and what is Zeno Power? 02:53 - Nuclear powered 77705:42 - How are nuclear reactors used today? 11:42 - A history of nuclear in space 14:04 - Nuclear regulations 17:48 - Zeno's core product and customer 21:33 - Disposal and containment during development 22:44 - Cost effectiveness vs traditional power systems24:43 - Epsilon3 Ad Break25:12 - Future of nuclear in space 28:37 - Customer targets outside of space 29:41 - Zeno's competitors 31:56 - Building a team around nuclear 38:05 - Zeno's products in 10 years 39:55 - State of nuclear energy today and its regulations 43:57 - Fusion vs Fission 46:19 - Other exciting space companies?• Show notes • Zeno Power's website — https://www.zenopower.com/Zeno Power's socials — https://twitter.com/zeno_powerMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload's socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us • Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 15,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We're also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world. Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we're a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing three media properties across multiple platforms: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/) 2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com) 3) Polaris, our weekly policy publication, hits inboxes Tuesday (https://polaris.payloadspace.com/) 4) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)
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 of serial space entrepreneur Kam Ghaffarian's holding company IBX.IBX consists of:Axiom Space, which provides private flights to the ISS and is also developing a commercial space station.Intuitive Machines, which is developing autonomous lunar landing systems.X-Energy, an engineering company working on nuclear reactors and fuel design.Quantum Space, which provides payload transportation, critical data, and infrastructure services in geostationary orbit and cislunar space.This week's Pathfinder podcast features IBX's Chief Investment Officer, Anton Brevde. Anton was previously a general partner at famed deep tech venture fund, Prime Movers Lab, where he led space investments. Payload went under the hood to understand how the four companies relate to one another and discuss the current state of the space economy, particularly:Anton's role managing the business and capital needs of four highly complex businessesFundraising for space companies in today's market environmentThe role of government as a provider of non-dilutive fundingThe most common do's and don'ts for space foundersAnd much more…This episode is brought to you by Epsilon3, software for complex engineering, testing, and operational procedures. Learn more at https://www.epsilon3.io/• Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and Epsilon3 Ad 01:12 - Experience at Prime Movers Lab (PML) 06:47 - PML's investment philosophy 08:58 - New role at IBX10:37 - Why the increased focus on the space industry? 12:36 - Responsibilities of a Chief Investment Officer 14:42 - Common thread between IBX companies19:26 - What is X-Energy?22:57 - What is Quantum Space26:06 - Epsilon Ad break 26:36 - Categorizing the space industry for an investor 32:36 - The current state of the space economy35:55 - Government intervention in space41:05 - The role of government in funding needs 49:49 - New innovations in the industry to be excited about51:56 - What do you look for in founders and what makes them successful?56:41 - Common founder mistakes 01:03:05 - Where to find Anton's blog• Show notes • IBX's website — https://i-b-x.com/Anton's blog — https://anton78704.medium.com/Anton's socials — https://twitter.com/anton_brevdeMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload's socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us • Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 15,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We're also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world. Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we're a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing three media properties across multiple platforms: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/) 2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com) 3) Polaris, our weekly policy publication, hits inboxes Tuesday (https://polaris.payloadspace.com/) 4) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)
Picture a world where you can complete your 6-month engineering project in just 6 weeks by removing typical bottlenecks in your workflows. That's what cofounder and CEO of Prewitt Ridge Steve Massey believes his company can help both government and commercial stakeholders of the space industry achieve.Enter Prewitt Ridge: 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.Said differently…Prewitt Ridge's software helps engineers to be more organized and efficient, which can lead to faster, cheaper and more reliable product development. A sneak peek…Steve held roles at Slingshot Aerospace and SpaceX before teaming up with fellow cofounder and CTO Zeke Brechtel to start Prewitt Ridge. Today, Mo and Steve discuss:Prewitt Ridge's value-add to the space industryNASA's expertise in systems engineeringThe future of automation in aerospaceWorking on Hyperloop technologyAnd much more…This episode is brought to you by Epsilon3, software for complex engineering, testing, and operational procedures. Learn more at https://www.epsilon3.io/• Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and Epsilon3 Ad 03:03 - What is Prewitt Ridge?04:46 - Keeping all stakeholders coordinated 06:21 - What inspired you to build the company?10:51 - Common mistakes for space founders 12:45 - Automatic vs manual systems 15:40 - Is systems engineering just an exercise in paperwork? 19:29 - Quantifying losses from not having proper processes21:47 - NASA's approach to systems engineering 26:44 - What products are you building today? 28:58 - Epsilon Ad break 29:27 - Current customer traction31:05 - The ideal commercial customer33:03 - Team size today33:27 - Prewitt's competitors 36:14 - What is a digital thread? 37:34 - The Techstars Space Accelerator40:25 - What is Hyperloop and how did you start working on it? 45:27 - Where do you see automation spreading in the space industry? 52:13 - Where does the name Prewitt come from? 52:57 - What do you do in your free time?• Show notes • Prewitt Ridge's website — https://www.prewittridge.com/Prewitt Ridge's socials — https://twitter.com/prewittridgeSteve's socials — https://twitter.com/thesteveMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload's socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us • Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 15,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We're also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world. Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we're a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing three media properties across multiple platforms: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/) 2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com) 3) Polaris, our weekly policy publication, hits inboxes Tuesday (https://polaris.payloadspace.com/) 4) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)
In episode 52 of The Space Industry podcast, Hywel Curtis speaks with Laura Crabtree, Co-founder & CEO of Epsilon3.Epsilon3 is a US-based software solutions company providing services in the space as well as other commercial industries. Epsilon3 modernizes space missions by building the industry standard of operational software. Its software platform manages complex operational procedures, saving operators time and reducing errors. The platform supports a majority of a project's life cycle from integration and testing through live operations.In this episode, we discuss: How communication between the engineering team and other decision-makers is crucial to ensure the success of the end-to-end space mission development process Set up your organization to make decisions Empower people to make a decision, even if it's the wrong one Be ok with mistakes, and learn from them You can find out more about Epsilon3 here on their satsearch supplier hub.And if you would like to learn more about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our newsletter.[Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/when-we-get-there License code: Y4KZEAESHXDHNYRA]
How do you get Blackrock to lead your $140M funding round? You'll have to listen to Loft Orbital's CEO and cofounder, Pierre-Damien Vaujour, to find out.The SF-based company provides a turnkey solution for launching, deploying, and operating small satellites, giving more players access to space. Loft's business model could be most simplified as a fulfillment model for the space industry. The company buys satellite buses in bulk and integrates customer payloads via their universal hub interface. The company's proprietary satellite management software simplifies the notoriously complex task of spacecraft operations. The key value prop? Help customers get to space in months, not years.Mo and Pierre-Damien have a wide-ranging conversation, including highlights such as:Loft's business model vs. competitors Space-as-a-service to space-infrastructure-as-a-serviceFuture innovations in the satellite industryToulouse, and why it's the aerospace capital of EuropeAnd much more… This episode is brought to you by Epsilon3, software for complex engineering, testing, and operational procedures. Learn more at https://www.epsilon3.io/• Chapters • 00:00 - Intro and Epsilon3 Ad01:38 - How did you get started with Loft Orbital05:51 - Industry expectations vs reality08:05 - Technical traction09:19 - Space-as-a-service vs Space infrastructure-as-a-service13:23 - Current commercial offerings15:49 - Managing the complexity of multiple payloads18:55 - Bulk buying vs vertical integration21:41 - How do you build partnerships while minimize supply chain risks?24:38 - Commercial traction30:18 - Largest opportunity for Loft: Commercial vs Government?31:30 - Epsilon3 Ad Break34:45 - Competitive landscape38:12 - Where is the satellite market heading?41:41 - Next big innovation in satellite technology?45:31 - Navigating fundraising and capital needs52:51 - Toulouse, the aerospace capital of Europe?55:13 - What company are you most excited about in the space industry?56:02 - Book/movie recommendation?• Show notes • Loft Orbital's website — https://www.loftorbital.com/Loft Orbital's socials — https://twitter.com/LoftOrbitalMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam Payload's socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us • Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 15,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We're also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world. Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we're a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing three media properties across multiple platforms: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern (https://newsletter.payloadspace.com/) 2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com) 3) Polaris, our weekly policy publication, hits inboxes Tuesday (https://polaris.payloadspace.com/) 4) Parallax, our weekly space science briefing, hits inboxes Thursday (https://parallax.payloadspace.com/)
Viasat completes acquisition of Inmarsat. The US State Department has released a 25-page document outlining a path to improving diplomatic efforts in space. US Space Command announces that they have assumed all missile defense responsibilities from US Strategic Command per the 2022 Unified Command Plan signed by President Joe Biden. North Korea's rocket suffers a second stage malfunction. SpaceX marks 200th successful launch, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus on Twitter and LinkedIn. T-Minus Guest Laura Crabtree, CEO of Epsilon 3, on digital transformation for the ground segment, aerospace manufacturers, and managing risk as an aerospace company. You can follow Laura on LinkedIn and Twitter and learn more about Epsilon3 on their website. Selected Reading Viasat Completes Acquisition of Inmarsat- Cision PR Newswire State Department wants to expand diplomacy in space- The Hill Lockheed Martin To Collaborate With U.S. Army To Improve Space-Enabled Defense Systems- Lockheed Martin Northrop Grumman's deep-space radar passes critical design review- SpaceNews SpaceX mission returns from space station with ex-NASA astronaut, 3 paying customers- NPR The Falcon 9 may double the record for consecutive launch success tonight- Ars Technica Sierra Space's Dream Chaser® Spaceplane Comes to Life- Sierra Space North Korea fails to launch satellite: state media- Nikkei Asia PLD Space set to launch Spain's first private rocket into space- NASASpaceFlight.com Colorado State Government Grants ThinkOrbital $250,000 to Revolutionize In-Space Welding Technology- Think Orbital Wanted: European commercial cargo service for space stations around Earth- ESA Melissa Quinn Explains Her Spaceport Cornwall Departure, Next Steps for Spaceport- Via Satellite Audience Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © 2023 N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 sponsored by Spaced Ventures, the planet's first space investment portal. Spaced Ventures has recently launched an effort to open an investment round into SpaceX. Find out more at www.spacedventures.com About Epsilon3: The startup 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. And more about our guest : 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. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Intro 3:06 — Putting the US back in the human spaceflight business 5:12 — Other highlights from Laura's time as a SpaceX'er 7:43 — The state of play in space mission management 10:07 — Why are space missions managed and tracked on pen, paper, Word, and Excel? 15:23 — Quantifying Epsilon3's effectiveness 19:16 — Building industry tools that everybody needs 21:53 — The beauty of elegant software tools 25:13 — When you got started, was it a non-obvious or counterintuitive bet to think the space industry was big enough to support its own software startup? 28:28 — A discussion of Epsilon3's customer base 31:36 — Meme cameo 35:12 — Going through Y Combinator 38:43 — Growing with current users and acquiring new customers 49:15 — Where the Epsilon3 name cames from LINKS Website — https://www.epsilon3.io/ Laura's Twitter — https://twitter.com/llcrabbie LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/epsilon3inc/ Ryan's Twitter — https://twitter.com/Ryandoofy ABOUT US Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand, and while we have designs on becoming the biggest space content company in the galaxy, for now, we publish: 1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, every Monday to Friday morning 2) Pathfinder, this podcast, on Tuesday mornings 3) ...and
Laura Crabtree is the co-founder and CEO of Epsilon3, an OS for spacecraft and complex operations. Connect with Epsilon3 Website: https://www.epsilon3.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/epsilon3inc/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Epsilon3Inc Connect with Homeroom Website: https://www.homeroompodcast.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/homeroomtalks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/homeroomtalks
SpaceX has grown from nascent dreams of the final frontier into the world's premier commercial space launch company, with dozens of successful missions that have continually become more and more ambitious. Now, there's a budding ecosystem of SpaceX alumni who have left the mothership to build their own companies, taking the culture and values they learned and applying it to problems they saw at the front lines of space innovation. On today's episode of the “Securities” podcast, host Danny Crichton interviews two of those alumni, Laura Crabtree, the co-founder and CEO of Epsilon3, and Will Bruey, the co-founder and CEO of Varda Space. Laura and Will shared a cube at SpaceX, and are now building software and hardware startups, respectively. We discuss how SpaceX's culture shaped their perspectives as entrepreneurs, why they chose different problem areas of space to tackle, how the 2022 financial markets impact their approach to growth, and how they think about company building and the Los Angeles / Southern California hard tech ecosystem. Recommended reading for this episode: Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX News: Startup Epislon3 hopes to expand Pentagon reach with launch ‘software service' Epsilon3's space industry OS powers more than launches as it brings in $15M in new funding Varda Space Industries closes $42M Series A for off-planet manufacturing
The space industry is evolving, as are the tools it uses; Epsilon3 is a startup trying to make launches, satellite design, rocket manufacturing, and other complex processes easier and more collaborative.
The space industry is evolving, as are the tools it uses; Epsilon3 is a startup trying to make launches, satellite design, rocket manufacturing, and other complex processes easier and more collaborative.
Laura Crabtree (@llcrabbie), founder and CEO of Epsilon3, joins Lucas Bagno and Ian Cinnamon on this episode to discuss:- What she accomplished during her time at SpaceX and her journey to starting Epsilon3. - Whether the biggest contribution of SpaceX to the industry will be all the amazing people leaving to start their own space companies.- How to get into the space industry if you don't already have a background in it.- Why a company like Epsilon3 hasn't been built before.- The importance of being vulnerable as a founder.Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform. Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup
Laura Crabtree (@llcrabbie), founder and CEO of Epsilon3, joins Lucas Bagno and Ian Cinnamon on this episode to discuss:- What she accomplished during her time at SpaceX and her journey to starting Epsilon3. - Whether the biggest contribution of SpaceX to the industry will be all the amazing people leaving to start their own space companies.- How to get into the space industry if you don't already have a background in it.- Why a company like Epsilon3 hasn't been built before.- The importance of being vulnerable as a founder.Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform. Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup
Space enterprise founder, Laura Crabtree, talks with Darrell and Jordan about starting Epsilon 3 and how they are helping companies across the space industry (and beyond) plan, track, and record their large projects and mission. They discuss their growing market fit, building relationships with your investors, and the benefits of having three founders.Take our listener survey and let us know a bit about yourself and what you think of FOUND.Connect with us:On TwitterOn InstagramVia email: found@techcrunch.comCall us and leave a voicemail at (510) 936-1618
Episode 33 of the Space Industry podcast is a discussion with Laura Crabtree, CEO of Epsilon3 - a US-based provider of mission and engineering operations software.In the podcast we discuss: Commercial drivers in the human spaceflight (HSF) sector The economic impacts of commercial providers on NASA's future missions How the various proposed private space stations are contributing to HSF demand Predictions on the evolution of the market in years to come You can find out more about Epsilon3 here on their satsearch supplier hub.And if you would like to learn more about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.[Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/when-we-get-there License code: Y4KZEAESHXDHNYRA]
In this episode we speak to Laura Crabtree Epsilon3 is a California, USA, based space software developer that creates tools to better communicate and manage operational procedures. The team includes engineering and design professionals from Northrop, Google, and SpaceX, with experience that includes first-hand operational management of sending American astronauts to the ISS. In the podcast we discuss how improved team communication and project lifecycle management can result in better engineering outcomes and help avoid mission failure. We cover: The gaps that can exist between designers and operators The impacts of a lack of procedure tracking on space missions How to improve team communication, and why this is important Examples of missions and services that benefit from enhanced operations management You can find out more about Epsilon3 here on their satsearch supplier hub.And if you would like to learn about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.[Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/when-we-get-there License code: Y4KZEAESHXDHNYRA]
Meet the incredible Laura Crabtree - CEO and Co-Founder of Epsilon3 and one of the few people that astronauts keep on speed-dial from space. When you are Laura, you get to answer the phone when ‘Dragon is calling' and an astronaut calls you from space just to check in. Today Laura heads Epsilon3 where spacecraft and complex operations software not only provides solutions to the space industry in the upstream market, but also delivers capabilities to the downstream markets.
Today, we're talking with Laura Crabtree the founder of Epsilon3 and a former SpaceX engineer. At Epsilon3 they're building a software stack to help teams advance in space exploration and complex engineering projects operate more efficiently. To listen to more episodes and to stay connected, follow along athttps://www.buildthefuturepodcast.com/https://twitter.com/camwieseDon't forget to leave a review and subscribe.Have a great week and until next time, go build!
In this episode we sit down with Laura Crabtree, the Co-Founder and CEO of Epsilon3, a company that creates and provides software tools for space missions, to discuss how the space industry has changed and what private space companies are doing to shape the future of space as know it.
ロケット打ち上げ用OSを元SpaceXエンジニアの企業Epsilon3が開発したことについて解説します