The optical future of space communications.

About this episode

Maria Varmazis interviews Khalia Padilla about investing in optical space technologies and projects at Imagine Engine.

Happy International Women's Day! On this episode, Maria Varmazis caught up with ⁠Khalia Padilla, CEO at Imagine Engine, to discuss investing in optical space technologies and going global during Commercial Space Week 2026. She discusses two projects backed by Imagine Engine: one developing an optical transceiver that bridges radio-frequency and optical signals, supported by a NASA grant, and another building a modular, maneuverable satellite in collaboration with students from Lehigh University using similar RF-to-optical modulation techniques. And, more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠. 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. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

People in this episode

Host: Maria Varmazis

Guest: Khalia Padilla

Topics covered

• optical space technologies
• satellite development
• radio-frequency modulation
• women in space
• commercial space

Keywords

• optical transceiver
• space communications
• NASA grant
• modular satellite
• RF-to-optical modulation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Imagine Engine, NASA

Places: Lehigh University

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