Eye of the Dragon

Balerion Principal Emerson Garnett sits down with Andrew Rush, Co-founder & CEO of Star Catcher, to discuss building the first power grid in space. Star Catcher is developing an orbital energy network that wirelessly transmits concentrated solar power to satellites using their existing solar arrays, with no retrofit required. Rush explains why power remains a core bottleneck in space operations, h...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Eric Hostetler, Founder & CEO of Volund Manufacturing, to discuss attritable jet engines and rebuilding U.S. defense manufacturing. Volund is developing the next generation of made-in-USA attritable jet motors, designed to power long-range drones and low-cost cruise systems at scale. Hostetler explains how his background in high-volume consum...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Joseph Pawelski, Co-founder & CTO of CisLunar Industries, to discuss power infrastructure for space. CisLunar Industries is a space technology company focused on building scalable, intelligent hardware that transforms power to run space. Pawelski explains why power is the foundational bottleneck for satellites, electric propulsion, lunar indu...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Chris Pearson, CEO of Agile Space Industries, to discuss in-space mobility and chemical propulsion. Agile is a propulsion solutions provider specializing in hypergolic propellants, with thrusters and rocket engines designed, 3D printed, and hot-fired under one roof. Pearson explains why chemical propulsion is seeing renewed demand for high-en...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits with John Bucknell, Founder & CEO of Virtus Solis, to discuss space-based solar power and wireless energy transmission from orbit to Earth. The discussion covers the company’s vision for space-based solar power, the economic and technical case for harvesting solar energy in orbit, and how Virtus Solis plans to beam power wirelessly to Earth using radio...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Deborah Space founders Betina Reyna and Danna Linn Barnett to discuss satellite collision avoidance. Deborah Space is building an on-prem software platform for satellite operators that prioritizes collision alerts, recommends tailored maneuvers, and supports threat and anomaly detection. The company’s thesis is that as orbital density rises,...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Space Phoenix Systems Founder & CEO Andrew Parlock to discuss satellite life extension, in-orbit servicing, and extending the useful life of space assets. Space Phoenix Systems is developing spacecraft designed to rendezvous with existing satellites and extend their operational life. Rather than replacing satellites when they run out of prope...

Balerion General Partner Dan Wallman sits down with Balerion Advisor, Vast Board Member, and Zeno Power SVP of Space Business Development A.C. Charania to discuss lunar infrastructure, commercial space stations, nuclear power in space, and emerging opportunities at the intersection of space and defense. A.C. brings more than two decades of experience across the commercial space sector and governme...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Vaxon Space Founder & CEO Steven Shepard to discuss very low Earth orbit satellites and air-breathing electric propulsion. Vaxon Space is developing satellites designed to operate in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) using an electric propulsion system that ingests atmospheric particles and uses them as propellant. Operating at these altitudes offe...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Marco Bolignari, Co-Founder & CEO of Fluid Wire Robotics, to discuss robotic manipulation in extreme environments. Fluid Wire Robotics is developing a new architecture for robotic arms designed to operate in environments where traditional robotics struggle to survive—radiation, high temperatures, vacuum, and deep ocean pressure. The company’s...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Matej Cernosek, Co-Founder & CEO of AndrenaM, to discuss ocean sensing, maritime AI, and monitoring activity across the underwater domain. AndrenaM is building a system designed to sense and monitor the ocean from the seafloor to the surface using distributed sensors and machine learning. In this conversation, Matej explains how the company e...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Marco Sala, Co-Founder & CEO of Revolv Space, to discuss satellite solar array drive systems and spacecraft power generation. Revolv Space develops Solar Array Drive Assemblies (SADAs) and related spacecraft mechanisms that allow satellites to track the Sun and maximize electrical power generation in orbit. In this conversation, Marco explain...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Ambrosia Space Founder & CEO Mario Maggio to discuss in-space biomanufacturing and microgravity life sciences. In this conversation, Mario outlines Ambrosia Space’s focus on building scalable biomanufacturing infrastructure designed to operate in microgravity, including bioreactors, centrifuges, and downstream processing systems. The discussi...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Vulcan Elements Co-Founder & CEO John Maslin to discuss rare earth magnet manufacturing and supply-chain security. In this conversation, John explains Vulcan Elements’ approach to domestic manufacturing of permanent rare earth magnets. These magnets are a critical input for electric motors, defense systems, aerospace applications, and advance...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Carlos Araque, Founder & CEO of Quaise Energy, to discuss superhot geothermal power and deep drilling technology. In this conversation, Carlos explains Quaise Energy’s approach to geothermal power generation based on accessing rock temperatures of approximately 300–500°C at depths of 3–20 kilometers. Quaise’s core technology uses millimeter-w...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with AJ Piplica, Co-Founder and CEO of Hermeus, a company working at the frontier of hypersonic aviation. Hermeus is building reusable, high-Mach aircraft using a development philosophy that looks more like early rocket startups or the aerospace programs of the 1950s than traditional defense primes. In this conversation, AJ walks through the origi...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Interstellar Lab Founder & CEO Barbara Belvisi to discuss autonomous biospheric systems and life-support for Earth and orbit. Barbara explains how Interstellar Lab evolved from an ambitious lunar greenhouse concept into a dual-use platform generating revenue on Earth while building toward deployment in orbit and beyond. Designed from the outs...

Aidan Daoussis sits down with Astron Systems CEO & Co-Founder Eddie Brown to discuss fully reusable small launch, European space sovereignty, and ultra-low-cost access to orbit. In this conversation, Eddie walks through Astron’s founding insight: that small launch is far from a solved problem and that full reusability is the only commercially viable path forward. Astron is building what it believe...

Balerion Advisor Doug McAdams sits down with TETmedical founders Alexander Travis, Roy Cohen, and CEO David Fischell to discuss rapid point-of-care diagnostics, and the beachhead market of stroke. This new class of rapid, point-of-care diagnostics has relevance across healthcare, defense, and space. Over the past decade, the Department of Defense, DARPA, and others have invested heavily in rapid d...

Balerion Principal Emerson Garnett sits down with Matt Loszak, Co-Founder & CEO of Aalo Atomics, to discuss factory-manufactured microreactors, data center power demand, and scaling nuclear energy. In this conversation, Matt walks through Aalo’s core thesis: mass-manufacturing modular nuclear power plants purpose-built for AI data centers and other always-on loads, with cost targets measured in ju...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Zeno Power Co-Founder & CEO Tyler Bernstein to discuss persistent power for space and maritime, and scaling radioisotope power systems. 00:00 – Introduction Aidan introduces Tyler Bernstein and Zeno Power, a portfolio company building nuclear batteries capable of operating from the deep ocean to deep space. 01:00 – What Is a Nuclear Battery?...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Latitude Co-Founder & Executive Chairman Stanislas Maximin to discuss Europe’s new launch providers and building a low-cost microlauncher. 00:00 – 01:15 | Welcome & Introductions Aidan introduces Stanislas “Stan” Maximin and Latitude as a new French launch provider focused on smallsat launch. 01:15 – 06:40 | Founding Motivation & Early Passio...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Mission Space CEO Mary Glaz to discuss space weather monitoring, on-orbit sensors, and protecting space infrastructure. StarCloud and StarCatcher; StarCatcher uses data for power-beaming operations. 41:30 – 43:00 | Government validation NASA interest through INSPIRES and Goddard engagement. 43:00 – 44:00 | Dual-use capabilities Detecting radi...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Rendezvous Robotics Co-Founder & CEO Joe Landon and VP of Engineering Gerry Hudak to discuss autonomous spacecraft servicing and in-space robotics. 00:00 - 02:10 Introductions Aidan welcomes Joe Landon (Co-Founder & CEO) and Gerry Hudak (VP Engineering) and introduces Rendezvous Robotics’ focus on autonomous in-space servicing. 02:10 - 05:00...

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Extraterrestrial Power Co-Founder & CEO Peter Toth to discuss ultra-low-cost space solar and radiation-hardened silicon cells. 00:00 - 02:45 Introductions Aidan welcomes Peter Toth, Founder & CEO of Extraterrestrial Power, a Sydney-based company focused on dramatically lowering the cost of power in space. 02:45 - 06:30 Founder Origin Story &...