Dylan Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space Holdings, a multinational space holding firm, has become a welcome regular on many industry-related podcasts that highlight the potential of the NewSpace sector. While the industry is still in its infancy, it has leveraged and built upon the innovations of the previous space age.
Taylor, an advocate of democratizing space exploration, shares his insights on where the sector is headed so we can better understand the importance of the NewSpace industry’s growth, which will also benefit humanity’s place amongst the stars.
On the Future Growth of the NewSpace Ecosystem
Shortly after Voyager Space Holdings’ first acquisition of Altius Space Machines, Taylor discusses the firm and its place in the industry on the MECO podcast, stating that Voyager’s focus is on building a healthy space ecosystem as an operating company.
Dylan’s vision for the company and the overall space industry is for large-scale companies to help scale the hundreds, if not thousands, of space startups, so they can partner on integrated missions to help the industry prosper. He sees Voyager mastering its capabilities with a fully integrated system including internal launch capabilities, on-orbit servicing with Altius expertise, mission control capabilities, data analytics and spacecraft manufacturing. Similar to the four big space companies (Boeing, Northrup Gruman, Airbus and Lockheed Martin), Taylor says that a publicly-traded NewSpace company with such capabilities would allow for more entrepreneurial, flexible and adaptable solutions to the challenges the space sector often faces.
According to Taylor, the whole ecosystem is destined for growth and as these companies fly in formation, they can proceed with more complex and interesting missions. As an example, he highlights the partnerships between Altius and OneWeb as a prime way industries evolve and create industry standards. He suggests that as these standards develop, it’s easier for people to align around innovative concepts. It also helps reduce cost and time to orbit, increases capability and moves the industry forward.
Notably, the current space race has made Voyager’s role crucial to progress in the sector. After gaining more acquisitions this past year, the company is expanding upon its capabilities, which will help build the commercial space sector. On the Supercluster podcast in early 2020, Taylor discusses the coming renaissance in Earth’s orbit. He discussed how getting to space partially depends on the sustainability of reusable rocket design (as witnessed by SpaceX) and the affordability it provides. Taylor also mentions that Blue Origin’s vision for space infrastructure is essential to facilitate growth within the space ecosystem. As of now, Taylor says, the commercial space industry is sustainable, but hopefully, governmental agencies will light a fire under that notion and continue to support partnerships between government programs and NewSpace companies.
As the most active space investor, Taylor is at the forefront of scaling the sector by making space an investment category, once thought impossible. With Voyager, he’s combined two capabilities, a large-scale platform with an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit. Taylor discussed the disruptive investment opportunities that will spur NewSpace growth on The Q Factor podcast. He shared that as the sector comes to full scale, humans will be living on Mars, present in the atmosphere of Venus and they’ll hold a permanent establishment on the Moon in 20 years. Voyager plans to have a significant role in all three of those objectives.
The Importance of Human Settlement in Space
Dylan Taylor discusses how human settlement on extraterrestrial bodies like the Moon is essential to deep space exploration. He says that rare earth minerals and other materials that can be mined on the Moon have the potential to help humans settle in space — plus, it’s much easier to get resources to the Moon. Another primary reason to settle on the lunar body is that the space-based infrastructure, power and communications that allow us to reach Mars can only be placed on the Moon for now. Taylor also mentions there’s oxygen on the Moon, which will be vital to inspace survival and creating more rocket fuel.
Taylor also relates how a significant aspect of space settlement is social. Imagine humans looking up at the Moon from Earth. He points out that it would change our perspective on life if we build infrastructure there.
“Mars is the next frontier and allows us to reimagine what humanity could be and how we live. But it also diversifies humanity,” says Dylan Taylor.
Taylor follows in the footsteps of other visionary thinkers like Gerard K. O’Neill, who he discussed on his appearance in the Planetary Radio podcast as leading the plan for a vast, magnificent human settlement in the cosmos. Taylor, who executive produced a documentary on O’Neill’s inspiring vision, informs listeners how his original innovation manifested in today’s technology and how that vision can inspire young generations to reach the stars.
However, that curiosity for space exploration and settlement on other planets hasn’t gone unchecked. On The Outliers podcast with Daniel Scrivner, Taylor elaborates on the importance of opening space up to tourism and eventual settlement through the use of NewSpace technologies. He also believes that in the next few years, many people will know someone in their community who’s been to space, which is one of Dylan’s passions because he believes space is a tool for personal transformation.
Today’s current space projects led by investors like Dylan Taylor offer a worthwhile opportunity to democratize the space sector and expand our place in the solar system. As we drive collaboration between private and government entities, we can explore more ingenuity and scale the space industry while also a wider framework for the human perspective.
