Space is no longer only a destination. For companies building the next generation of aerospace infrastructure, it is becoming a place where industrial capability, economic opportunity, and advanced engineering meet.
On Aviation Champions with Miranda Gahn, Joe Pawelski, CTO of CisLunar Industries, brings a focused perspective on one of the most important foundations of that future: power. Headquartered in Loveland, Colorado, CisLunar Industries USA, Inc. is a small business and non-traditional defense contractor founded in 2019 to advance the industrial development of the Earth-Moon system.
Today, the company is working to deliver flight-proven Electric Power Intelligent Conversion, known as EPIC™, hardware and software that transforms power to run space.
Advancing the Future of Space Power Systems
Every meaningful space mission depends on reliable power. As spacecraft, orbital platforms, and future off-Earth industrial systems become more capable, the need for intelligent power conversion and high-voltage distribution becomes increasingly important.
CisLunar Industries is focused on technologies that address pressing space challenges today while helping lay the groundwork for a future off-Earth industrial ecosystem. Its EPIC™ hardware and software are designed around the idea that power systems must do more than function; they must enable spacecraft and space infrastructure to do real work.
From Concept to Flight-Proven Hardware
One of the most significant milestones for CisLunar Industries has been getting EPIC™ hardware from concept to flight-proven, on orbit, and doing real work. For a company founded in 2019 with a small team, that achievement carries special weight in the aerospace industry.
In space, flight heritage matters. Before hardware has been proven in orbit, conversations with program offices can remain hypothetical. Once a system has flight heritage, it changes the nature of those conversations. It positions the company as a real supplier with demonstrated capability.
Why Flight Heritage Matters
For aerospace and defense customers, confidence is built through performance. Flight-proven hardware shows that a company has moved beyond plans and roadmaps into operational reality.
This is especially important in space power systems, where reliability, qualification, and mission readiness are central to adoption. CisLunar Industries’ progress reflects the importance of proving technology in the environment where it is intended to operate.
The Challenge: Market Timing, Not Technical Capability
According to Joe Pawelski, the company’s biggest challenge is not technical. CisLunar Industries’ EPIC™ hardware is already flight-proven. The larger issue is market timing.
This is a common challenge for aerospace innovators. Even when a technology is ready, the broader market must also be ready to adopt it. Mission needs, funding cycles, procurement timelines, and the maturity of related technologies can all influence how quickly a solution moves from proven capability to broad deployment.
What Aerospace Leaders Can Learn
For companies developing advanced aviation and aerospace technology, CisLunar Industries’ experience offers several practical lessons:
- Prove the technology in real conditions. Flight heritage can transform how customers evaluate capability.
- Understand market readiness. Technical success and commercial timing do not always move at the same pace.
- Build for where the industry is going. Technologies that seem specialized today may become baseline requirements tomorrow.
- Watch execution in the market. Companies that successfully raise capital, launch, and execute missions in space can help signal where demand is moving.
Where Space Power Technology Is Headed
Looking ahead three to five years, Pawelski expects high-voltage distribution and intelligent power conversion to move from specialty capabilities to baseline expectations. He also sees electric propulsion power processing as a near-term commercial driver.
That outlook reflects a broader shift in the space industry. As missions become more ambitious and spacecraft require more flexible, efficient, and intelligent systems, power processing will play an increasingly central role. Electric propulsion, advanced payloads, and future space infrastructure all depend on the ability to manage and convert power effectively.
Electric Propulsion as a Commercial Driver
Electric propulsion has the potential to shape demand for advanced power conversion because it requires carefully managed power processing. As this area continues to develop commercially, companies with demonstrated experience in space power systems may be well positioned to support mission needs.
Building Toward an Off-Earth Industrial Ecosystem
CisLunar Industries describes its vision as a future where space is not just a destination, but an engine of economic growth. That vision requires more than launch capability. It requires infrastructure, reliable systems, and technologies that allow space-based operations to scale.
Power is a core part of that foundation. Whether supporting spacecraft operations, enabling propulsion, or contributing to future industrial activity beyond Earth, intelligent power conversion is one of the technical areas that can help make sustained space activity possible.
Why This Conversation Matters
Aviation Champions with Miranda Gahn highlights leaders and companies shaping aviation and aerospace. CisLunar Industries’ story is a strong example of how a focused team can move from concept to operational space capability in a demanding industry.
For aerospace professionals, defense stakeholders, technology leaders, and anyone watching the future of space infrastructure, the key takeaway is clear: the next phase of space development will depend on practical, proven systems that can support real missions.
Conclusion
CisLunar Industries is working at the intersection of aerospace innovation, space infrastructure, and intelligent power technology. With flight-proven EPIC™ hardware and software, the company is contributing to a future where space can become a platform for economic growth and industrial development.
As high-voltage distribution, intelligent power conversion, and electric propulsion power processing become more important, the companies that combine technical readiness with real flight heritage will be worth watching.
Learn more about CisLunar Industries and its work in space power systems at https://www.cislunarindustries.com/.
