Valley of Depth

Bridgit Mendler took an unconventional path to founding a space infrastructure company, but it led her to one of the industry’s most overlooked bottlenecks: the ground systems connecting satellites to Earth. Now, she’s building Northwood to modernize that critical layer of the space economy, the part that doesn’t get the headlines but matters as much as anything happening above it. Northwood recently announced its new Prism product, and we get into the business model, the competitive landscape, the government bet, and one of the most critical questions: if Starlink and Kuiper have already built their own versions of what Northwood is selling, who’s actually buying? We cover: Why ground infrastructure is the overlooked bottleneck in the space economy The announcement of Prism and what it means for Northwood's ambitions beyond its first product The claim that Northwood will rival a terrestrial internet exchange by 2028 The Space Force contract and what the path to a second one looks like Cell tower or cloud bill: how Northwood actually makes money Her future vision for the industry and the infrastructure bet behind it • Chapters • 00:00 – Trailer 00:44 – FCC Space Bureau 04:28 – How Bridgit decided to work on satellite networking 07:35 – From lake to concept 09:57 – Recent announcement at Northwood 12:20 – Where Northwood fits in the ground station as a service model 15:24 – The Northwood value proposition 16:42 – Average utilization of a ground station 18:10 – Northwood's flexibility 19:41 – Key goals in the next few years 22:15 – "I like to be bullish on space because that's what we're all here for" 22:52 – Biggest near-term opportunity 24:09 – How the competition shapes Northwood 25:50 – Segment of the market Bridgit believes has the biggest capacity for growth 26:45 – Northwood x Space Force: Satellite Control Network 29:48 – The state of Northwood today 32:09 – Competing for talent 33:22 – Revenue model with ground stations and how that will evolve 35:43 – What Northwood's next product set might look like 39:05 – Deployment of Northwood's $100M 40:03 – Investor conversations 42:55 – How Northwood fits in the changing landscape of the space industry with the Moon and SpaceX's IPO 45:17 – What keeps Bridgit up at night? 46:33 – Rapid-fire philosophical questions • Show notes • Northwood’s website — https://www.northwoodspace.io/ Ross’s’ socials — https://x.com/bridgitmendler Mo's socials — https://x.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://x.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Ignition’s socials — https://x.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/ Tectonic’s socials — https://x.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/ Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us • Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), Decoding Bio (biotech) and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies. Payload: www.payloadspace.com Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com Ignition: www.ignition-news.com Decoding Bio: www.decodingbio.com

On this week's episode of Valley of Depth, we sit down with Ross Fubini, Managing Partner at XYZ Venture Capital, for a conversation about what it actually means to be early in a market nobody believed in. Ross wrote the first check into Anduril in 2016, alongside Founders Fund, before defense tech was a category, before the term sheet wars, and before the word "primes" became a punchline on X. He did it because he'd spent years inside the Palantir network and understood something others couldn't see from the outside: that the company was an unparalleled crucible for entrepreneurial talent, churning out founders who knew how to sell technology to the hardest customer in the world. XYZ has since backed 40+ Palantir alumni across 130+ companies, and the firm now sits at over $1.5B under management. We cover: Why Ross knew Anduril would win from day one and why he still underestimated how big it would get The Palantir thesis: what he saw in that network in 2017 that everyone else missed How the defense tech landscape has gone from "nobody will return your calls" to drunk pirates chasing cash Where the market is overcrowded and where there’s significant whitespace How to invest in the SpaceX ecosystem without getting eaten by it What good board work actually looks like when a company is in trouble His case for why the best venture insight is almost always about a market shifting not just a great team • Chapters • 00:00 – Episode Trailer 00:46 – From engineer to investor 04:49 – What Ross saw in Palantir before anyone else was talking about them 06:43 – The founding story and pitch of XYZ 09:42 – How Ross's engineering background informs his investing 14:01 – The market moving around technology 16:14 – What Ross thought would be the outcome of his Anduril investment 17:40 – The truth in the assumption of the US government being a reliable customer in defense tech 23:54 – Anduril vs. other defense tech firms 26:48 – Sectors that Ross is hesitant on 28:35 – Capabilities on Ross's radar 30:02 – SpaceX IPO 33:26 – Investing in an industry with a dominant player 36:19 – How much is Ross focusing on space vs. everything else? 38:42 – Hardest moment Ross has had with a founder 42:10 – How the VC community has evolved since Ross's time at Netscape 44:41 – What does Ross do for fun? • Show notes • XYZ’s’ website — https://www.xyz.vc/ Ross’s’ socials — https://x.com/fubini Mo's socials — https://x.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://x.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Ignition’s socials — https://x.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/ Tectonic’s socials — https://x.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/ Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us • Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), Decoding Bio (biotech) and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies. Payload: www.payloadspace.com Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com Ignition: www.ignition-news.com Decoding Bio: www.decodingbio.com

This month, Mo and Jack host a live show on the future of Commercial LEO Destinations, featuring leaders building the next generation of space stations: Marshall Smith (Voyager Technologies / Starlab) Jonathan Cirtain (Axiom Space) We discuss station development progress, business models, NASA's role, private astronaut missions, station economics, the transition from the ISS, and what it will take to build a sustainable commercial presence in LEO. • About us • Arkaea Media is building the definitive media, events, and intelligence platform for the future of the defense industrial base. We deliver high-quality journalism and actionable insights that shape the business, policy, and investment decisions underpinning technically complex and highly regulated industries that influence global security. Our portfolio of publications (so far) includes Payload (space) and Tectonic (defense tech). Payload: www.payloadspace.com Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com Ignition: www.ignition-news.com Decoding Bio: www.decodingbio.com

Commercial geospatial intelligence has moved from nice-to-have imagery to core national security infrastructure. And Vantor is trying to reposition itself for that new era. On this week’s episode of Valley of Depth, we sit down with Dan Smoot, CEO of Vantor, to unpack the company’s transformation from a legacy satellite imagery provider into a space-based intelligence platform serving defense, intelligence, international, and enterprise customers. The shift is bigger than a rebrand. Vantor is betting that the future of geospatial intelligence is not just sharper pixels from orbit, but the ability to turn space-based data into software, AI-driven insights, autonomous navigation, sovereign intelligence systems, and real-time operational decision-making. We cover: How Vantor is moving beyond imagery into space-based intelligence Why the Maxar rebrand was necessary, even if controversial How commercial GEOINT is becoming a national security layer How Vantor’s 3D data supports autonomous systems and GPS-denied operations Why partnerships with companies like Anduril matter for the future battlefield How Ukraine changed the government’s view of commercial imagery Where Vantor fits into Golden Dome and missile defense Why sovereign geospatial capabilities are becoming a global priority …and much more. • Chapters • 00:00 - Trailer & Intro 01:06 – Maxar Intelligence 02:39 – An outside view coming into the space industry 05:12 – The Maxar rebrand 09:00 – Product offerings and customers 12:15 – Vantage and Pulse 16:31 – Does being under a private equity firm change how Vantor operates? 18:53 – Vantor's partnership with Anduril 21:41 – EOCL (Earth Observation Commercial Layer) 25:24 – Cultural impact of commercial intelligence on global conflicts 29:46 – Vantor x Golden Dome architecture 30:48 – How Chinese tech compares to the US 33:25 – Capabilities of Tensorglobe that a customer could deploy today 36:17 – Raptor 38:42 – When will we have a sub-15-minute revisit at sub-20cm resolution? 43:35 – The winning valuation of Vantor for Advent 47:51 – Lanteris's revenue multiples 51:28 – What Dan would change about commercial EO and policy today 53:51 – What does Dan do for fun? • Show notes • Vantor’s website — https://vantor.com Vantor’s’ socials — https://x.com/vantortech Mo's socials — https://x.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Ignition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/ Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/ Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us • Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies. Payload: www.payloadspace.com Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com Ignition: www.ignition-news.com

The U.S. military doesn’t have enough pilots—and automation may be the only way to scale airpower. At the same time, Skyryse is formally launching its new defense unit, bringing its software-defined flight system, SkyOS, into military applications. On this week’s episode of Valley of Depth, we sit down with Mark Groden, CEO of Skyryse, to unpack how the company is building a universal operating system for aircraft that can dramatically simplify flight, reduce pilot burden, and enable fully autonomous operations when needed. The goal is ambitious: turn helicopters and airplanes into flexible, optionally piloted systems that can shift between crewed and uncrewed missions—unlocking a new model for force projection, logistics, and survivability. The conversation spans the tragic accident that inspired Mark to start Skyryse, why aviation’s biggest safety problem is really a technology problem, how SkyOS works across platforms from Robinson helicopters to Black Hawks, and why defense demand for autonomy is accelerating faster than most people realize. We cover: How SkyOS transforms aircraft into software-defined systems Why helicopters are so difficult and dangerous to fly today What Skyryse Defense is building for crewed, uncrewed, and autonomous missions How optionally piloted aircraft could reshape military logistics and ISR How Skyryse’s Series C positions the company for scale Why the future battlefield requires simpler, more adaptable systems …and much more. • Chapters • 00:00 – Intro 01:34 – The accident that changed Mark's life and mission 04:10 – A PhD in sensor data fusion 06:54 – The evolution of Skyryse 10:09 – Product stack 15:30 – New business unit 17:12 – Skyryse's partnership with the Army 19:39 – Why even build for humans? 21:35 – The software distribution of SkyOS 26:40 – Guinness World Record for autorotation 30:58 – Training commercial helicopter pilots with Skyryse 33:52 – Commercial picture for Skyryse 37:43 – Addressing the pilot shortage in the military 42:22 – Commercial regulations 45:39 – What certification unlocks for Skyryse 47:19 – Military regulatory process 48:53 – What Skyryse plans to do with their Series C funding 51:27 – How people's lives change if Skyryse is everywhere in 20 years 53:30 – Can you buy the Skyryse helicopter? 54:05 – What Mark does for fun when he's not building helicopters • Show notes • Skyryse’s website — https://skyryse.com/ Skyryse’s’ socials — https://x.com/skyryse Mo's socials — https://x.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Ignition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/ Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/ Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us • Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies. Payload: www.payloadspace.com Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com Ignition: www.ignition-news.com

Scott Sanders has seen the defense tech industry from just about every angle. As a Marine officer, he watched promising capability stall somewhere between a program office and the field. As an early employee at Anduril, he helped build one of the companies that bet it could do better. Now, as Chief Growth Officer at Forterra, he's making that same bet on autonomous ground systems, a market that's been promised for years and is only now being put to the test. In this episode of Valley of Depth, we press Scott on what's actually working, what isn't, and where the hype is running ahead of the hardware. We get into: Why the gap between a cool tech demo and a real defense business is wider than most founders think What investors still fundamentally misunderstand about defense timelines and business model risk Why most defense startups won't become primes and what the ones that do have in common How Forterra is approaching autonomy, mesh networking, and distributed operations at the tactical edge What it looks like to actually get capability to operators, not just into a program of record The procurement dysfunction that everyone in the room knows about and almost no one fixes • Chapters • 00:00 – Intro 00:50 – Sun Valley 03:14 – Scott’s time in the Philippines 09:04 – Why Scott joined Anduril 14:01 – Working with the government: then vs now 17:34 – What investors should look for in defense tech 20:27 – Forterra in 2022 vs 2026 25:12 – Forterra’s products today 26:39 – Autonomy-as-a-service model 30:13 – Hardware and software 32:36 – Commercial end users 33:52 – Why acquire mesh networking from goTenna? 37:27 – Current programs and contracts 40:55 – Fully autonomous systems in contested environments 44:30 – Hiring in a competitive defense tech industry 47:25 – How many SVDG companies could become primes? 47:52 – Exciting technologies for investors 51:46 – Forterra in 7–8 years 53:34 – What Scott does for fun • Show notes • Forterra’s website — https://www.forterra.com/ Forterra’ socials — https://x.com/ForterraDrive= Mo's socials — https://x.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Ignition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/ Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/ Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us • Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies. Payload: www.payloadspace.com Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com Ignition: www.ignition-news.com

In this episode of Valley of Depth, we dive into Aalyria’s newly announced $100 million raise at a $1.3 billion valuation with cofounder and CTO Brian Barritt and unpack why investors are betting big on the future of networks that don’t sit still. Aalyria is building two core technologies born inside Google: Spacetime, a software orchestration layer designed to manage networks in motion, and Tightbeam, a laser communications system delivering fiber-like speeds through the atmosphere. Together, they aim to solve one of the hardest infrastructure challenges in aerospace and defense: how to coordinate satellites, aircraft, drones, ships, and ground systems into a seamless “network of networks.” The conversation spans laser physics, diffraction challenges in space-to-ground links, feeder link bottlenecks in mega-constellations, and why routing data across moving infrastructure is fundamentally different than routing across fixed networks. We cover: Why Aalyria’s $100M raise signals a shift from R&D to deployment What “network in motion” really means and why it’s so hard How laser communications can reach 100 gigabits per second through atmosphere The technical challenge of Earth-to-space vs. space-to-Earth optical links Why interoperability has been a 40-year ambition inside the DoD How open APIs could become the connective tissue for JADC2 and beyond What resilience and roaming look like in hybrid satellite architectures Why optical ground stations require orchestration software to scale • Chapters • 00:00 - Intro 00:59 – The history of Aalyria 02:47 – Aalyria's Spacetime 06:09 – Building the connective software stack that links all of Aalyria's technology together 07:12 – The non-geostationary network problem 11:12 – The rebirth of Loon Technology 14:50 – How Tightbeam ties in to Aalyria 17:21 – 100gb/s through the atmosphere 19:42 – Brian's mandate as CTO when Aalyria forms 20:37 – State of Tightbeam at formation of Aalyria 22:17 – Why can't other companies do what Spacetime does yet? 26:05 – The significance of having different architectures with different source codes talk to each other without modification 28:21 – How Aalyria integrates a new customer's network 31:05 – What is a long distance for Tightbeam and customer reaction to demos 32:48 – Who has Aalyria surprised the most with their demos? 34:28 – What has prevented the government from making a network of networks? 39:14 – Why wouldn't a space version of the Tightbeam terminal not work? 42:01 – How Aalyria is thinking about customer adopting Tightbeam 45:15 – Aalyria in the defense industry 47:05 – Aalyria's commercial aspects 48:30 – Aalyria's latest investment round 51:39 – Next milestones 53:00 – What keeps Brian up at night? 54:00 – Longterm vision for Aalyria 56:16 – What does Brian do for fun? • Show notes • Aalyria’s website — https://www.aalyria.com/ Mo's socials — https://x.com/itsmoislam Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace Ignition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/ Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/ Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us • Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies. Payload: www.payloadspace.com Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com Ignition: www.ignition-news.com

In this episode of Valley of Depth, we sit down with Jack Kuhr, Payload Pro’s Research Director, to unpack what SpaceX has become on the eve of what could be the largest IPO in history. What began as a launch company has evolved into a vertically integrated platform spanning launch, satellites, global connectivity, and potentially AI and compute in space.This is the first in a series of conversations where we’ll regularly update our audience on the latest developments shaping SpaceX and its impact on the broader space economy.We discuss:How Starlink has overtaken launch as SpaceX’s primary growth engineWhy Starlink’s constraints are more likely terminals, regulation, and physics—not satellitesHow international markets are powering the next phase of Starlink’s expansionWhy aviation and maritime are the most underappreciated Starlink verticalsWhether Starlink “Lite” can meaningfully take share from traditional ISPsHow Starship and Starlink V3 could upend Falcon 9 economicsWhy the SpaceX–xAI merger points to a fully integrated space, connectivity, and AI stack• Chapters •00:00 - Intro01:09 - Jack's role at Payload and what is it04:06 - Jack's revenue model for SpaceX08:06 - Launch and Starlink09:23 - Is SpaceX privatizing launch or is there less demand?12:07 - Starlink's current revenue runway trajectory14:31 - 2026 projects and potential growth pains16:41 - Starlink constraints19:00 - US vs international customers19:53 - Starlink terminal sales21:10 - What is currently under appreciated about Starlink's verticals?22:52 - Starlink Light24:34 - Competition from GEO broadband providers33:07 - Starship34:45 - When will Starlink launch their first commercial, non Starlink payloads38:22 - Is SpaceX serious about space based data centers?42:06 - SpaceX x Tesla x xAI • Show notes •Payload Pro’s website — https://pro.payloadspace.com/Jack’s socials — https://x.com/JackKuhrMo's socials — https://x.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspaceIgnition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us •Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies.Payload: www.payloadspace.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.com

As constraints on energy, water, and permitting collide with exploding demand for AI and compute, a once-fringe idea is moving rapidly toward the center of the conversation: putting data centers in space. Starcloud believes orbital infrastructure isn’t science fiction—it’s a necessary extension of the global compute stack if scaling is going to continue at anything close to its current pace.Founded by Philip Johnston, Starcloud is building space-based compute systems designed to compete on cost, performance, and scale with terrestrial data centers. The company has already flown a data center–grade GPU in orbit and is now working toward larger, commercially viable systems that could reshape where and how AI is powered. We discuss:How energy and permitting constraints are reshaping the future of computeWhy space-based data centers may be economically inevitable, not optionalWhat Starcloud proved by running an H100 GPU in orbitHow launch costs, watts-per-kilogram, and chip longevity define the real economicsThe national security implications of who controls future compute capacity • Chapters •00:00 - Intro00:50 - The issue with data centers02:20 - Explosion of the data center debates04:58 - Philip's 5GW data center rendering and early conceptions of data centers in space at YC08:16 - Proving people wrong11:17 - The team at Starcloud today12:29 - Competing against SpaceX's data center14:42 - Sam Altman's beef with Starlink16:52 - Economics of Orbital vs Terrestrial Data Centers by Andrew McCallip21:33 - Where are we putting these things?23:50 - Latency in space25:59 - Political side of building data centers28:36 - Starcloud 130:16 - Space based processors30:51 - Shakespeare in space32:00 - Hardening an Nvidia H100 against radiation and making chips in space economical34:43 - Cooling systems in space36:01 - How Starcloud is thinking about replacing failed GPUs38:46 - The mission for Starcloud 240:05 - Competitors outside of SpaceX40:49 - Getting to economical launch costs44:35 - Will the next great wars be over water and power for data centers?46:25 - What keeps Philip up at night?47:11 - What keeps Mo up at night? • Show notes •Starcloud’s website — https://www.starcloud.com/Philip’s socials — https://x.com/PhilipJohnstonMo's socials — https://x.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspaceIgnition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us •Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies.Payload: www.payloadspace.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.com

We're back to kick off 2026!While the world debates how to power the next era of compute, data centers, and industrial growth, Overview Energy is betting the answer is above us. The company is building infrastructure to beam power from space directly to Earth's grid.Founded by Marc Berte, a nuclear and aerospace engineer who spent his career at the intersection of lasers, spacecraft, and high-energy systems, Overview is developing a constellation of satellites in geosynchronous orbit that absorb sunlight, convert it to near-infrared laser light, and transmit it to existing utility-scale solar projects on the ground. No new receivers required. By using wide-beam, passively safe transmission and off-the-shelf ground infrastructure, Overview aims to deliver dispatchable, redirectable power anywhere on the planet, turning space solar from science fiction into grid-scale reality.We discuss:Why space solar energy is finally viable after decades of false startsHow Overview's architecture avoids the in-space assembly problem entirelyHow the economics work: matching cost curves to high-price markets firstWhy GEO matters more than LEO for grid-scale power deliveryThe role of launch cost as the critical external variableWhy space solar could be the demand flywheel that drives launch costs down for everyone• Chapters •00:00 - Intro00:48 - The main problem Overview Energy is solving and why now04:34 - Why didn’t Marc pursue nuclear fusion/fission?05:34 - Incubated in Vast06:32 - State of the art today?09:58 - Acquisition and beaming down of solar energy and its efficiency12:23 - Safety, regulatory, and precision constraints14:54 - Competitive positioning in space solar power16:20 - Economics of orbital energy vs terrestrial renewables19:25 - How much more should someone be paying for orbital energy23:46 - Who will be their first customers?25:39 - What does the infrastructure look like?27:39 - Biggest bottleneck for orbital energy29:34 - Are current launch costs at the level needed for Overview Energy to kick off?30:27 - Commercial traction31:46 - Testing and evaluating these systems with the DoD and NASA33:38 - Early demonstrations and proof points35:21 - Overview Energy’s space-based demonstration36:22 - Chinese competition38:30 - How much more investment is needed to achieve the first gigawatt of power from space?40:42 - Can terrestrial renewables meet power demands without space-based energy43:41 - Grid of the future with orbital power in the picture44:50 - The technical unknowns of orbital energy48:24 - Powering other space assets49:46 - What Marc is building when he’s not working at Overview Energy • Show notes •Overview Energy’s website — https://www.overviewenergy.com/Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspaceIgnition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/• About us •Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies.Payload: www.payloadspace.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) David “Abu” Nahom spent decades defending the American homeland, from commanding Alaska Command and the 11th Air Force to shaping Air Force budgets and strategy as the A8. Mike Dickey started his career in the original Strategic Defense Initiative, helped build the USSF and now advises companies and government leaders on the future of national security. Together, they unpack the realities behind Golden Dome: what it is, what it isn’t, and why it may be the most complex defense undertaking of our time.Inside the episode:Why homeland defense is no longer a Cold War problem and why threats across all domains demand a fundamentally new architectureWhat it actually takes to detect, track, and intercept advanced weapons, from ballistic missiles to hypersonics to low-observable cruise missilesHow command & control is the real bottleneck, and why BMC2 will define the success or failure of Golden DomeWhy integrating F-35s, space sensors, legacy radars, and new AI systems is a social-engineering challenge as much as a technical oneThe role of startups in a mission where “move fast and break things” collides with the reality of life-or-death stakesWhy public perception lags far behind the actual threat picture and what Americans get wrong about homeland defenseThe technologies on the horizon that could completely reshape missile defense in the next decade• Chapters •00:00 – Intro00:41 – David's and Mike's Backgrounds04:01 – How Elara Nova has grown since last episode05:17 – What makes Golden Dome different?08:00 – How exposed has the US been to missile threats?10:53 – What is the Golden Dome supposed to look like today?14:02 – Not reinventing the wheel16:38 – Capabilities of today and tomorrow23:00 – How new modes of launch change missile defense24:57 – Integrating new solutions with current systems27:15 – Golden Dome isn't a technology problem29:41 – How much does ego play into the social engineering challenge of the Golden Dome?32:47 – Unable to fail in this startup-driven golden age of space and defense tech36:11 – Risks of the Golden Dome budget ballooning39:29 – The deterrence calculus42:12 – How will Golden Dome interface with our allies44:20 – Exciting defense tech being developed or doesn’t exist yet46:29 – How putting weapons in space changes things48:13 – Golden Dome issues they wish were fixed today50:24 – What everyday Americans don't understand about the Golden Dome53:01 – Measurable outcomes that the Golden Dome works54:56 – What Mike and David do for fun• Show notes •Elara Nova’s website — https://elaranova.com/Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspaceIgnition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us •Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies.Payload: www.payloadspace.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

Space has a power problem. Satellites need more electricity and better protection, yet solar arrays are slow to build and failure-prone, and shielding adds mass and complexity. Atomic-6 is tackling both sides at once.Our guest this week is Trevor Smith, founder and CEO of Atomic-6. His team is building Light Wing, a redeployable, mass-manufacturable solar array aimed at higher watts per kilogram and faster delivery, and Space Armor, an RF-permeable debris shield designed to stop hypervelocity impacts while preserving comms and resisting directed energy. The company’s first on-orbit hardware is slated for February 2026, and they’re pursuing multi-billion-dollar constellation opportunities alongside a long-term purchase agreement with a private space-station builder.Inside the episode:Why reliability, not just power density, wins satellite programsHow a space power gigafactory could reset constellation economicsWhat “cell-agnostic” really means for supply chain and performanceThe new “radome for space” capability and where it matters for defenseCislunar prospects, lunar-orbit data centers, and vertical solar towersLessons from working with Space Force and navigating dual-use fundingThe state of the U.S. industrial base and why solar arrays are a top supply-chain priority • Chapters •00:00 – Intro00:47 – How Atomic-6 got started03:06 – Building the power grid for space04:09 – Why is Atomic-6 building what it's building05:58 – Dollars per watt per kilo07:18 – Cell agnostic07:58 – How Trevor got into the space industry09:14 – Team construction at Atomic-609:49 – What type of people is Atomic-6 looking for?10:35 – Atomic-6's key product offering10:58 – Current customers and opportunities at Atomic-611:38 – Pipeline13:07 – Manufacturing scaling14:04 – How much is an operator spending on solar arrays?15:12 – Who would we go to today for building a satellite array and what would they be missing?16:33 – Space Armor19:44 – What is a radome?20:34 – Whipple Shield deployment21:11 – Significance of being transparent to radio signals21:41 – Terrestrial applications for the Whipple Shield23:24 – How Atomic-6 came to developing the Whipple Shield24:48 – Opportunity vs Light Wing and Space Armor25:38 – Defense traction with Space Armor26:52 – Atomic-6's business model29:17 – Milestones30:35 – Vertical integration32:34 – Other products that Atomic-6 is developing33:42 – Developments in advanced materials that will define architecture in space36:18 – What does success look like for Atomic-6 in 5 to 10 years?36:59 – What keeps Trevor up at night?38:05 – Government support40:17 – The legacy Trevor wants Atomic-6 to leave behind • Show notes •Atomic-6’s website — https://www.atomic-6.com/Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspaceIgnition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear / https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us •Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies.Payload: www.payloadspace.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com