Valley of Depth

Payload | Ignition | Tectonic
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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.

  1. 12/19/2025

    The Maneuver Gap, with Kerry Wisnosky (CEO of Quantum Space)

    Kerry Wisnosky believes the future of space power will be decided by maneuverability. As satellites remain largely static, Quantum Space is building the infrastructure to move, persist, and operate across orbits, from LEO to cislunar space. The company is developing Ranger, a six-metric-ton, high-delta-V spacecraft designed to operate for up to 15 years, host and deploy payloads, maneuver freely between orbits, and function as a refueling node. By combining chemical and electric propulsion into a single multimode system, Quantum aims to deliver both high-impulse mobility and long-duration efficiency—turning spacecraft from disposable assets into persistent infrastructure. Inside the episode: Why space remains a static domain and why maneuverability is the next decisive advantageHow Ranger reframes satellites from disposable assets into long-lived infrastructureThe strategic importance of fuel in orbit and why refueling changes mission economicsWhy multimode propulsion is the “holy grail” for mobility across orbitsHow life extension in GEO becomes the first commercial wedgeWhat zone defense in space could mean for missile defense architecturesWhy Quantum was early to the market and why demand is finally catching up  • Chapters • 00:00 – Intro 00:45 – From Millennium to Quantum Space 02:56 – Key products at Millennium 03:57 – Evolution of Quantum's vision over the years 06:34 – Ranger 13:41 – 15 years of operational life 16:22 – Acquiring Phase Four 22:25 – Orbital mobility 23:37 – Ranger doubling as a fuel depot 25:51 – Target customers for Ranger 30:52 – Interceptors in space for Golden Dome 33:52 – Quantum Space's competitive edge 35:27 – Are other maneuverability companies viewing the problem the wrong way? 37:18 – Quantum Space's launches 39:24 – What does success look like for Quantum's first Ranger mission? 40:21 – Scaling and manufacturing 43:53 – Why should talent work at Quantum? 45:14 – Quantum Space in 5 years 47:35 – What did Kerry not expect while building Quantum? 48:49 – When is Quantum's next launch?   • Show notes • Quantum Space’s website — https://www.quantumspace.us/ Mo's socials — https://twitter.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.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

    50 min

  2. 12/11/2025

    Building Golden Dome, with Lt Gen (Ret) Nahom & Mike Dickey (Elara Nova)

    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 – Intro 00:41 – David's and Mike's Backgrounds 04:01 – How Elara Nova has grown since last episode 05:17 – 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 wheel 16:38 – Capabilities of today and tomorrow 23:00 – How new modes of launch change missile defense 24:57 – Integrating new solutions with current systems 27:15 – Golden Dome isn't a technology problem 29:41 – 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 tech 36:11 – Risks of the Golden Dome budget ballooning 39:29 – The deterrence calculus 42:12 – How will Golden Dome interface with our allies 44:20 – Exciting defense tech being developed or doesn’t exist yet 46:29 – How putting weapons in space changes things 48:13 – Golden Dome issues they wish were fixed today 50:24 – What everyday Americans don't understand about the Golden Dome 53:01 – Measurable outcomes that the Golden Dome works 54:56 – What Mike and David do for fun • Show notes • Elara Nova’s website — https://elaranova.com/ Mo's socials — https://twitter.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.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

    56 min

  3. 12/04/2025

    Railroad to Mars, with Halen Mattison (CEO of General Galactic)

    Halen Mattison left SpaceX because Elon told him his vision was too long-term. He wanted to build the propellant infrastructure that would unlock Mars and everything between here and there, but the timeline didn't fit SpaceX's roadmap. So he started General Galactic to do it himself. His team is developing Genesis, a water electrolysis propulsion system that delivers hydrazine-level thrust and xenon-level efficiency using the safest, cheapest, most abundant propellant in the solar system. The company is targeting an orbital demonstration in 2026, with a long-term vision to operate refueling depots from LEO to Mars.   Inside the episode: • Why the space industry's fear of new technology is creating a sitting-duck opportunityHow water electrolysis unlocks both near-term mobility services and long-term ISRU infrastructureWhat "specific impulse" actually means for mission economics and why it matters more than people thinkThe Starship refueling challenge and why cryogenic propellant depots will work at scaleSequencing from mobility-as-a-service to lunar fuel production to gas stations on MarsWhy consensus-following investors miss the most ambitious bets and how to tell the contrarian story  • Chapters • 00:00 – Intro 01:11 – When did Halen decide to start his own company? 02:18 – What did Halen do at SpaceX? 02:59 – Deciding moment to devote to a career in aerospace 05:16 – The current state and trajectory of Starship 07:53 – What is General Galactic building? 09:50 – General Galactic's products and end goals 12:12 – General Galactic's perspective shift on mobility in space 16:31 – Architecture vs the current market offerings 21:39 – Why is now the time to build a water electrolysis system? 24:27 – Genesis 25:42 – Hardware in space 26:19 – What would a General Galactic demonstration mission look like? 27:13 – What would product 1 look like? 28:15 – Mission capability unlocks and cost advantage 30:56 – Offering a service 31:27 – Origin and evolution of General Galactic 34:59 – Space companies that sequence well outside of SpaceX 36:06 – 4-year prediction if mobility gets adopted 38:39 – Misunderstandings about Starship's refueling logistics 42:01 – Where would General Galactic fit in the Starship ecosystem? 43:25 – What a v0.1 Mars gas station would look like 44:46 – How difficult is it to protect General Galactic's position with water electrolysis? 46:22 – Lessons from being a founder 49:30 – Sequencing   • Show notes • General Galactic’s website — https://gengalactic.com/ Halen’s socials — https://x.com/HalenMattison Mo's socials — https://twitter.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.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

    53 min

  4. 10/30/2025

    Power, Meet Shield, with Trevor Smith (CEO of Atomic-6)

    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 – Intro 00:47 – How Atomic-6 got started 03:06 – Building the power grid for space 04:09 – Why is Atomic-6 building what it's building 05:58 – Dollars per watt per kilo 07:18 – Cell agnostic 07:58 – How Trevor got into the space industry 09:14 – Team construction at Atomic-6 09:49 – What type of people is Atomic-6 looking for? 10:35 – Atomic-6's key product offering 10:58 – Current customers and opportunities at Atomic-6 11:38 – Pipeline 13:07 – Manufacturing scaling 14:04 – 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 Armor 19:44 – What is a radome? 20:34 – Whipple Shield deployment 21:11 – Significance of being transparent to radio signals 21:41 – Terrestrial applications for the Whipple Shield 23:24 – How Atomic-6 came to developing the Whipple Shield 24:48 – Opportunity vs Light Wing and Space Armor 25:38 – Defense traction with Space Armor 26:52 – Atomic-6's business model 29:17 – Milestones 30:35 – Vertical integration 32:34 – Other products that Atomic-6 is developing 33:42 – Developments in advanced materials that will define architecture in space 36:18 – What does success look like for Atomic-6 in 5 to 10 years? 36:59 – What keeps Trevor up at night? 38:05 – Government support 40:17 – 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/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.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

    44 min

  5. 10/23/2025

    Rendezvous Economics, with Austin Link (Co-Founder of Starfish Space)

    Satellites are expensive and once launched, mostly untouchable.. That’s the problem Starfish Space is solving. The company is building Otter, a small, autonomous servicing vehicle capable of rendezvousing with, docking to, and moving other satellites in orbit. On this episode of Valley of Depth, I’m joined by Austin Link, co-founder of Starfish Space. Austin shares how a team of former Blue Origin engineers turned a bold idea into one of the most advanced orbital servicing programs in the world. We trace Starfish’s journey from recovering a tumbling spacecraft spinning 330 degrees per second, to preparing for the first commercial docking of an unprepared satellite in orbit.   We also discuss: How Starfish closed the business case for on-orbit servicingWhat it takes to autonomously dock with a satellite moving faster than a bulletThe economics of life-extension and debris disposalLessons from the Otter Pup missionsThe dual-use future of orbital servicing for defense and resilienceThe long-term vision for a logistics layer in space…and more.   • Chapters • 00:00 – Intro 00:59 – Starfish's mission 03:02 – Why is now the time to be building on orbit satellite servicing 04:44 – On orbit servicing with the rapid advancement of satellites 07:29 – Why leave Blue Origin to start Starfish? 09:18 – Convincing investors early on 11:22 – Results from Starfish's first few missions 13:40 – Why Starfish has fun with their names 15:43 – How the team de-tumbled the satellite 21:55 – Starfish's upcoming missions 25:37 – When will Starfish start selling their systems? 27:33 – Future business models and commercial vs government split 30:08 – How Starfish helps customers price their ROI 32:26 – Do regulations need to be placed in order for the market to thrive? 35:14 – How Starfish differs from competitors 36:29 – Current size of the satellite servicing market 37:25 – Starfish's key strength 40:19 – Insights on servicing from defense 42:51 – What changes will happen if satellite servicing becomes routine? 44:14 – Starfish's next phase in the business 45:05 – Starfish's North Star 46:19 – Overhyping the Kessler Syndrome 47:41 – What does Austin do besides working on Starfish?   • Show notes • Starfish’s website — https://www.starfishspace.com/ Mo's socials — https://twitter.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.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

    50 min

  6. 10/01/2025

    The Missing Sensor, with Nicolaas Verheem (CEO of TRL11)

    Spacecraft carry all kinds of sensors, but rarely the one humans rely on most: video. Despite offering the richest insight per watt, gram, and dollar, cameras have been largely absent from orbit.That’s what TRL11 is out to change. The company is building radiation-tolerant optics, edge computers that process and compress video in real time, and ground software that turns footage into operational awareness.   On this episode of Valley of Depth, I’m joined by Nicolaas Verheem, founder and CEO of TRL11. Nicolaas shares how his journey from pioneering wireless video at Teradek, work that won both technical Academy and Emmy Awards, led him to ask why space was still flying blind. We trace TRL11’s path from early in-orbit demos to commercial traction with operators and defense, and dig into how edge intelligence and video awareness could transform the space economy.   We also discuss: • Why video is the “missing sensor” in space• Lessons from TRL11’s first orbital missionsThe three core use cases: health monitoring, mission awareness, and mission enablement• How software, not hardware, creates a lasting moat in space video• The long-term vision of human-like awareness in space…and more.   • Chapters • 01:03 – Nicol and Starwars and Startrek 03:10 – Nicol winning an Academy Award and an Emmy 04:14 – Nicol at Teradek 05:13 – How Teradek inspired Nicol's current company TRL11 06:30 – How video applies to the space industry 09:41 – Why do we need video and what problem does it solve? 12:56 – A ring camera for space 17:06 – The story behind the company name 19:32 – TRL11's current product offerings 21:43 – Showing the operator what matters on screen 24:53 – How do you build a space camera? 26:45 – What TRL11 has learned in their early orbit tests 29:06 – TRL11's primary first customers 32:25 – Making the case for investors 36:45 – Should every spacecraft have video onboard? 38:03 – The importance of video for inspiration 40:03 – Misunderstandings when it comes to video from partners, investors, and customers 41:10 – Lessons Nicol learned building a company in the space industry 42:42 – Fundraising at TRL11 44:26 – Legacy and product evolution   • Show notes • TRL11’s website — https://www.trl11.com/ Mo's socials — https://twitter.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 Ignition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

    48 min

  7. 09/25/2025

    Engineering Mass Abundance, with Neel Kunjur (CTO of K2 Space)

    Smallsats have defined the last decade of space, but their limitations are clear: low power, limited throughput, and fragile unit economics. K2 Space is betting on the opposite. The company is building mega class and giga class satellites, platforms measured in tons rather than kilograms, that deliver unprecedented power, capacity, and resilience. By vertically integrating 80 percent of their systems in house, K2 is cutting costs by an order of magnitude and making industrial scale spacecraft a reality. On this episode of Valley of Depth, we’re joined by Neel Kunjur, cofounder and CTO of K2 Space. Neel traces the journey from early Slack messages about the promise of MEO to a 160 person team building the largest commercial satellites ever attempted. He shares how K2 has reimagined subsystems like reaction wheels, high voltage power, and 20 kW propulsion to unlock entirely new mission architectures in MEO, GEO, and beyond.   We also discuss: Why MEO is such an underexplored orbital regimeThe engineering breakthroughs behind large reaction wheels and high voltage power systemsHow stackable satellites change constellation designThe long term vision for space infrastructure, from in space compute to energy harvesting…and more.     • Chapters • 00:00 – Intro 00:56 – What's happened in the past two years since K2 has been on the pod 02:13 – The thesis behind K2 03:51 – What does Neel mean by aperture? 04:40 – Why do satellites need to grow in size and power? 06:59 – The rise in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) chatter 08:49 – Why did Neel leave SpaceX and start K2 with his brother? 12:04 – Building K2 for a post Starship world 14:10 – Current and future K2 offerings 15:32 – 20 Kilowatts vs a small LEO satellite 17:10 – Giga-scale satellite 18:40 – How K2 is able to deliver $15m satellite 21:13 – K2's innovations so far 23:01 – Engineering problems that larger satellite builders have to worry about 25:08 – K2's propulsion solution to get MEO 28:11 – Engineering for Starship's current MEO blindspot 29:18 – Neel's prediction on Starship's refueling rollout 30:14 – Innovation through simplicity 33:24 – How is K2 hiring the talent for their niche challenges 35:52 – How big is K2's team today 36:43 – Key takeaways from K2's first mission 38:22 – Mission Gravitas 39:59 – Orbit race 40:39 – Mission Gravitas: Commercial or DoD? 41:33 – K2's scaling plans 43:03 – Customized vs standardized 45:17 – Overspec'd by design 45:40 – Will K2's success spur more competition? 47:23 – Will satellites become robust, industrial hardware? 48:48 – What's enabled by these large platforms? 51:01 – The paradigm shift happening in engineering for space 52:42 – Will SpaceX own LEO? 55:05 – The name and branding behind K2   • Show notes • K2’s website — http://www.k2space.com/ K2’s socials — https://x.com/K2SpaceCo Mo's socials — https://twitter.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.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

    59 min

  8. 09/17/2025

    Proven Propulsion, with Kristin Houston (President of Space Power & Propulsion Systems of L3Harris)

    This episode is presented by L3Harris Technologies. On this special edition of Valley of Depth, we’re joined by Kristin Houston, President of Space Propulsion and Power Systems at L3Harris. Kristin leads the team responsible for propulsion and space power systems across Artemis and beyond, from the RS-25 main engines to the Gateway’s high-power electric propulsion system to Fission Surface Power (FSP) on the Moon. We dive into how Artemis II is shaping up, the role of SLS, and why nuclear power and propulsion may be the linchpin of America’s long-term space presence. We also discuss: What Artemis II is designed to prove, and why precision on Artemis I mattered so muchHow Artemis ties directly into national security and the new lunar race with ChinaFSP – what it is, why it matters, and why NASA is accelerating it nowNuclear propulsion: hype vs. physics, and how soon it could be operationalWhy maneuverability in space is becoming the next strategic advantageGolden Dome and how propulsion/power innovations fit into the architectureThe propulsion milestone Kristin wants to see in the next 10 years…and much more. Check out this Valley of Depth on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. • Chapters • 00:00 – Intro 00:47 – Kristin's background 03:47 – Why are we going back to the Moon? 07:10 – State of the Artemis program 09:28 – L3Harris's involvement in Artemis 10:48 – What does success look like for Artemis 2? 12:38 – Orbital maneuvers and landing 14:35 – Lessons from Artemis I that's giving confidence into Artemis II 15:45 – Artemis II readiness, risk, and pacing 16:39 – What needs to go right in Artemis II 18:55 – The need for the SLS rocket 19:57 – The criticism of the SLS 22:28 – Could Starship and the SLS coexist? 24:33 – National security ROI for sustained Lunar operations 27:02 – Are we underestimating China? 27:40 – What if China gets to the Moon first? 31:13 – The question about power 34:59 – Minimum power requirements on the Moon 35:45 – Government's renewed focus on nuclear 36:57 – How far away are we from nuclear propulsion? 39:27 – Maneuverability in space 42:20 – Defense focused propulsion systems 42:57 – Golden Dome 46:11 – Propulsion milestones   • Show notes • L3Harris’s website — https://www.l3harris.com/ Mo's socials — https://twitter.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.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

    51 min
See All (155)

4.7
out of 5
59 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Payload | Ignition | Tectonic
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    155
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Arkaea Media Group
  • Show Website
    Valley of Depth

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