Building a Laser Comms Startup in New Zealand: An Interview with Pavel Kalinin Artwork

SpaceBase Podcast

SpaceBase is a social enterprise who's mission is to democratize access to space through education, entrepreneurship and community building starting in New Zealand. This podcast is dedicated to creating the journey from space enthusiast to space entrepreneurs through insightful interviews with aerospace specialists, investors, and entrepreneurs sharing their experience and knowledge of the space industry, and their personal journeys.To support the podcast, please consider becoming a patron.Since its incorporation in 2017, SpaceBase has collaborated with economic development agencies, local and national governments, and advocacy groups to deliver over 100 educational presentations and workshops, national space and aerospace competitions, as well as helping birth space communities and organizations locally and globally. SpaceBase also assists in technical due diligence, consulting projects for investors, industry stakeholders, and space startups. SpaceBase created a platform for the NZ Aerospace Directory and a free course, Catalysing a Space Industry in Your Region, for anyone interested in creating a local space industry. Recently, it delivered the Space for Planet Earth Challenge competition for the Pacific region in partnership with satellite company Planet.

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SpaceBase Podcast

Building a Laser Comms Startup in New Zealand: An Interview with Pavel Kalinin

April 29, 2025 • Episode 74

An interview with Pavel Kalinin, CTO at OutThere Astronautics, a New Zealand startup focusing on the development of optical communications systems for space applications.

Pavel was born in Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia. He came to New Zealand with his family when he was 5 years old.

Pavel has a degree in physics as well as aerospace engineering from the University of Auckland. While at the university, he participated in the Auckland Programme for Space Systems (APSS) competition where his team's proposal was selected to begin building a cubesat to send into Low Earth Orbit.

Resources
Auckland University Program on Space Systems (APSS)

University of Auckland Velocity Challenge

Mark Rober (Youtube)

The Martian by Andrew Weir

Hosts: SpaceBase Founder Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom

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