Eye of the Dragon

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Jason Andrews, Co-Founder & CEO of Orbite Space, to discuss astronaut training. Orbite Space prepares private individuals, companies, and governments for human spaceflight through training, mission consultation, and spaceflight experiences. The company is building the service layer needed as human access to orbit expands.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction and Orbite Space overview

00:48 – Jason Andrews explains Orbite’s role in preparing people for spaceflight

03:35 – Experience, train, fly: Orbite’s customer pathway

09:35 – Astronaut orientation and condensed training programs

15:22 – Mission support and the future of Starship-enabled spaceflight

18:45 – Current private astronaut market and barriers to adoption

23:03 – Finding customers through F1, yachting, private aviation, and luxury events

26:17 – Orbite’s focus on human systems, health, safety, and space hospitality

31:27 – Zero-gravity flight training and parabolic aircraft operations

35:14 – B2C, B2B, and B2G opportunities for astronaut preparation

38:12 – Point-to-point rocket travel and how much training passengers may need

40:12 – Mental, physical, and medical preparation for spaceflight

44:28 – Underwater and analog environments for space training

46:12 – Lunar and Mars analog training with real space hardware

52:20 – Revenue model across consumer, business, and government customers

55:59 – Public perception, the aviation analogy, and the future of human spaceflight

58:15 – Closing takeaway: human spaceflight is becoming a near-term commercial market

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Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Nick Destrycker, Founder & CEO of EDGX, to discuss compute infrastructure in space. EDGX is developing AI compute systems for satellites, enabling operators to process data onboard before downlinking. This reduces latency and bandwidth costs for applications such as ISR, SIGINT, disaster monitoring, and future orbital data centers.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction to EDGX and onboard satellite computing

00:47 – EDGX’s vision for a sovereign compute layer in space

02:03 – Current products: AI compute systems and compute-as-a-service

03:01 – Technical challenges: vibration, temperature, and radiation

07:35 – Use cases for ISR, SIGINT, and rapid battlefield awareness

10:18 – Commercial applications including flood and wildfire detection

11:12 – Hardware architecture using commercial NVIDIA-based systems

12:53 – Company milestones, first customers, and flight heritage

16:30 – Next-generation systems and orbital data center node plans

18:43 – Hosted payloads, customer missions, and demand from defense

20:48 – AI, GPU, and orbital data center tailwinds

23:11 – Building fast despite long space development cycles

25:06 – Training and deploying AI models for in-orbit processing

26:43 – Legacy satellites, interoperability, and future satellite refresh cycles

29:20 – Defense demand, Golden Dome relevance, and long-term commercial opportunity

30:50 – European space technology, launch dependence, and market constraints

32:55 – European and U.S. customer strategy

34:14 – European defense space architecture and IRIS²

35:21 – Funding history, seed round, and capital strategy

38:11 – Scaling production and manufacturing bottlenecks

39:54 – Investor misconceptions and EDGX’s broader compute-layer vision

41:52 – Closing takeaway: compute in space as foundational infrastructure

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Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Brian Taylor, Founder & CEO of Lux Aeterna, to discuss reusable satellites. Lux Aeterna is developing satellites designed to return from orbit, be refurbished, and fly again. The company is addressing satellite lead time, cost, and mission flexibility as launch cadence increases.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction and company overview

00:48 – Why reusable satellites matter as launch costs fall

02:37 – New mission architectures enabled by shorter-duration flights

04:06 – Brian Taylor’s background at SpaceX, Kuiper, and Loft Orbital

06:21 – Relaxing satellite mass constraints to enable reentry

08:41 – Vehicle architecture, payload capacity, and landing approach

11:08 – Reentry safety, heat shields, parachutes, and landing in Australia

13:50 – Use cases for downmass, payload swaps, and human refurbishment

17:37 – Separating stable satellite buses from rapidly evolving payloads

20:50 – Why large-scale orbital infrastructure may require reusability

22:18 – Launch supply, SpaceX, Starship, and the need for competition

24:20 – Fleet scale, standardization, and future vehicle classes26:01 – Satellite lead-time bottlenecks and the case for faster access

28:41 – Competitive advantage, operational knowledge, and speed

30:12 – SpaceX IPO implications for capital, talent, and market validation

33:29 – Building trust through cadence, consistency, and reliable downmass

35:18 – Customer interest from in-space manufacturing and government users

37:00 – Hypersonic testing opportunities during reentry

38:36 – Differences between reusable satellites and reusable upper stages

40:12 – Investor questions, skepticism, and the scale argument

42:47 – Technical validation, first flight, reuse, and scaling challenges

46:57 – Team building, hiring criteria, and hardware-in-space experience

49:29 – Preparing for the February flight and first vehicle operations

50:52 – Closing takeaway on robust, high-cadence space infrastructure

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Balerion Advisor Doug McAdams sits down with Brian Berzin, Co-Founder & CEO of Thea Energy, to discuss stellarator fusion. Thea Energy is developing a planar-coil stellarator architecture spun out of Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. The company is focused on making fusion practical for utility-scale power generation by shifting stellarator complexity from precision hardware into software-controlled magnet arrays.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction to Brian Berzin and Thea Energy

00:35 – Brian’s background in engineering, finance, venture, and fusion

02:33 – Fusion as an energy investment thesis

04:35 – Commercial fusion as utility-scale power generation

05:53 – Why fusion matters for energy, safety, geopolitics, and prosperity

11:19 – The shift from laboratory fusion science to commercial engineering

15:43 – Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, David Gates, and the origins of Thea Energy

17:52 – Why stellarators differ from tokamaks

20:54 – The planar-coil stellarator breakthrough

22:23 – Thea’s 300+ magnet array and software-controlled plasma shaping

24:34 – Using software control to handle variability, wear, and long-term plant operation

28:38 – Series A progress, magnet iteration, and hardware development

31:49 – Superconducting magnet arrays, field precision, and DOE milestone work

34:37 – AI, machine learning, and control systems for fusion optimization

40:41 – Fuel choice and the case for deuterium-tritium fusion

43:32 – Neutron capture, blankets, tritium breeding, and power conversion

46:22 – Roadmap to EOS, Helios, and first-half-2030s grid power

50:50 – Manufacturing scale-up and building fleets of fusion power plants

52:06 – Practicality, cost of electricity, and scaling fusion within the power industry

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Balerion Advisor Doug McAdams sits down with Ben Bloom, Founder & CEO of Atom Computing, to discuss neutral atom quantum computing. Atom Computing is developing large-scale quantum computers based on neutral atom architectures. The discussion covers quantum computing fundamentals, Atom’s roadmap, energy efficiency, supply chain considerations, and the role of quantum systems in future compute infrastructure.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction to Ben Bloom and Atom Computing

00:40 – Bloom’s background from MIT, atomic clocks, Intel, and Rigetti

02:32 – Quantum computing primer and why qubits matter

04:26 – Applications in chemistry, materials science, and cryptography

06:24 – Quantum computing as an engineering tool for simulation and design

09:43 – Moore’s Law, GPUs, QPUs, and heterogeneous compute

11:49 – Neutral atoms, optical tweezers, and qubit control

15:49 – Founding Atom Computing and recognizing the neutral atom opportunity

18:13 – Energy use, room-temperature operation, and compute efficiency

20:37 – Integrating QPUs into cloud and HPC infrastructure

22:11 – U.S. government quantum investment and strategic importance

24:21 – Defense, materials science, and dual-use applications

26:28 – Atom Computing’s product architecture and system components

31:32 – Scaling roadmap, logical qubits, and error correction

33:27 – Current systems, customer deployments, and path to 2030

36:16 – Manufacturing, bottlenecks, and scaling neutral atom systems

38:58 – Quantum sensing, communications, and compute differences

43:53 – Quantum computing timelines and expected industry impact

45:49 – Future applications in materials, chemistry, drugs, and industrial design

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Advisor at Balerion Space Ventures Doug McAdams sits down with Moshiel Biton, Co-founder & CEO of Addionics, to discuss advanced battery current collectors. Addionics is developing a 3D porous current collector platform designed to improve lithium-ion battery performance through architecture rather than chemistry changes. The conversation covers battery fundamentals, manufacturing scalability, and applications across EVs, defense, space systems, drones, and data centers.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction to Addionics and overview of 3D current collector technology

00:00:46 – Moshiel Biton’s background in semiconductors and transition into batteries

00:03:11 – Overview of lithium-ion battery technology and industry evolution

00:05:28 – Battery architecture fundamentals: anodes, cathodes, separators, and current collectors

00:07:01 – Role of current collectors and limitations of conventional 2D metal foils

00:08:36 – Addionics’ approach to improving battery performance through 3D porous collectors

00:10:04 – Benefits in energy density, thermal management, charging, and battery lifetime

00:12:01 – Business model as a technology and component supplier rather than a battery manufacturer

00:13:57 – Manufacturing strategy and integration into existing gigafactory infrastructure

00:16:42 – Automotive market focus and expansion into space and defense applications

00:17:36 – Battery requirements for satellites, orbital cycling, and extended mission lifetimes

00:20:27 – Customization of collector architectures for drones, satellites, and defense systems

00:23:24 – Growing importance of batteries in autonomous defense platforms and national security

00:26:06 – Battery storage challenges for data centers and grid balancing applications

00:30:07 – Long-term vision for Addionics as a platform across all battery chemistries

00:32:57 – Scaling strategy through global manufacturing partnerships and licensing

00:33:14 – Pilot production facility and demonstration of gigafactory-scale manufacturing capability

00:35:13 – Conservative scale-up philosophy and customer-driven manufacturing expansion

00:36:22 – Ten-year vision beyond batteries into broader porous metal applications

00:37:27 – Maintaining a chemistry-agnostic platform approach across battery technologies

00:38:25 – Closing thoughts and future outlook for Addionics

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Balerion Advisor Doug McAdams sits down with Richard Dinan, Founder & CEO of Pulsar Fusion, to discuss fusion propulsion. Pulsar Fusion develops high-power electric propulsion systems and is advancing its Sunbird fusion propulsion architecture for space transport. The discussion covers Hall effect thrusters, plasma testing, fusion exhaust architecture, and why fusion propulsion may be nearer-term than terrestrial fusion power.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction to Pulsar Fusion and the Sunbird propulsion concept

00:46 – Richard Dinan discusses Pulsar’s origin and long-term fusion propulsion thesis

03:25 – Building a revenue-generating propulsion business before fusion readiness

05:20 – Pulsar’s focus on large Hall effect thrusters and high-power satellite propulsion

08:28 – Pulsar’s UK facilities, vacuum chambers, and propulsion qualification infrastructure

09:38 – How Hall effect thruster development supports plasma and fusion propulsion work

12:05 – Recent Sunbird demonstration and the fusion exhaust architecture problem

17:01 – Fuel-pair selection, neutron management, and why DT fusion is poorly suited for propulsion

20:56 – Q, plasma temperature, and why propulsion does not need to be a power plant

25:21 – Using in-space propulsion to reduce launch fuel requirements and enable logistics

30:03 – Why fusion propulsion may be simpler than terrestrial fusion power

34:15 – Competitive comparison with chemical, electric, and nuclear thermal propulsion

38:13 – Materials, shielding, magnets, and system lifetime in orbit

41:13 – Pulsar’s next milestones: diagnostics, higher plasma temperatures, and flight demonstrations

43:21 – Path toward fusion reactions in space and deuterium–helium-3 research

45:00 – Long-term vision for lighter rockets and cislunar or Mars logistics

46:50 – Closing remarks and final thoughts

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Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Josh Giegel, Founder & CEO of Gambit AI, to discuss autonomous robot orchestration. Gambit AI is developing adaptive intelligence software that enables one operator to coordinate teams of unmanned systems across aerial, ground, maritime, and future space domains. The company is focused on reducing operator burden as robotic platforms proliferate across defense and commercial markets.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction and Gambit AI overview

02:15 – Robotic platforms Gambit supports across air, ground, and maritime systems

02:54 – Josh Giegel’s background at SpaceX, power systems, and Hyperloop

07:23 – Hyperloop lessons and the origins of Gambit AI

12:07 – Operator interface and integration with existing autonomous systems

15:36 – Model architecture, reinforcement learning, graph networks, and world models

19:12 – Limits of swarm autonomy and the importance of communications bandwidth

22:54 – Platform complexity, onboard compute, and distributed robotic roles

25:44 – Company milestones, contracts, team growth, and customer deployments

30:30 – Defense-first adoption and commercial market expansion

32:37 – Geopolitical risks, infrastructure vulnerability, and counter-UAS needs

35:09 – Commercial use cases from inspection to robotic problem resolution

37:17 – Applications in space, lunar infrastructure, and robotic surface operations

40:35 – Key takeaway: robots need orchestration

41:05 – Ten-year outlook for autonomous teams in industry and conflict

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Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Lee Rosen, Founder, President & CEO of ThinkOrbital, to discuss in-space infrastructure. ThinkOrbital is developing technologies for building large structures in space, including autonomous in-space welding and modular orbital platforms. The company is also applying its space-to-space X-ray imaging work to space domain awareness and terrestrial inspection use cases.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction and ThinkOrbital overview00:39 – Space infrastructure constraints and the need to build at scale in orbit02:04 – Autonomous in-space welding, cutting, 3D printing, and X-ray generation04:35 – Space-to-space X-ray imaging for space domain awareness06:27 – Lee Rosen’s background in the Air Force, NRO, launch operations, and SpaceX10:13 – Founding ThinkOrbital and the flat-packed orbital platform concept13:08 – How space-to-space X-ray imaging works at operational distance16:34 – Upcoming X-ray panel and source demonstrations with Argo Space17:30 – Large orbital platforms, in-space manufacturing, and protected infrastructure19:41 – Forward-basing assets in space for Space Force missions21:04 – Space as a warfighting domain and risks to GPS and other critical systems28:20 – Lessons from SpaceX culture, first-principles engineering, and test discipline33:19 – Commercial use cases for large orbital platforms and in-space manufacturing37:10 – In-space welding and the concept of a dry dock for building large spacecraft40:09 – How Lee’s view of space changed from peaceful commons to contested domain42:12 – Lunar infrastructure, permanent human presence, and Moon-to-Mars development46:18 – ThinkOrbital’s upcoming launches, STRATFI opportunity, and drone-based X-ray applications50:47 – Closing takeaway: understanding and protecting critical space infrastructure

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Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Ben Haldeman, Founder & CEO of LifeShip, to discuss DNA archives on the Moon. LifeShip is building space-based archives that preserve human DNA, species DNA, art, knowledge records, and cultural artifacts. The company’s early missions use lunar and deep-space payloads as long-duration monuments and biological archives for humanity.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 – Introduction and LifeShip’s mission to send DNA to the Moon02:09 – Ben Haldeman’s background in Mars life-detection instruments, telescopes, and Planet Labs04:40 – Early LifeShip missions, including ISS demonstrations and the first lunar landing05:40 – How individuals can send DNA, art, stories, books, and messages07:35 – Long-term lunar monuments, annual Moon missions, and future sanctuary concepts10:36 – Mission history, including ISS missions, a failed launch, a return-to-Earth lunar attempt, and Firefly’s successful landing13:41 – Asteroid mission with AstroForge and the role of deep-space archives15:43 – Market opportunity for space-based legacy, archives, and participatory monuments18:39 – Technical process for collecting, preserving, packaging, and archiving DNA22:16 – Payload integration, pyramid construction, artifacts, and deployment approach24:09 – Customer base: space enthusiasts, artists, communities, entrepreneurs, and partner collections27:40 – Funding model, angel investors, profitable missions, and future capital needs29:32 – Future use cases: species preservation, human records, avatars, and biological continuity33:18 – LifeShip’s broader vision for carrying life outward and populating new worlds36:08 – Von Neumann probes, self-replicating systems, and biological seeding concepts40:36 – SpaceX, rocket factories, lunar infrastructure, and the emerging space economy43:40 – LifeShip’s potential role in future lunar cities and space-based infrastructure45:30 – Lunar lava tubes, radiation protection, thermal stability, and underground habitats48:10 – Closing thoughts on LifeShip’s community, mission, and long-term vision

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit balerionspace.substack.com