Follow The Voyager Podcast for more conversations with the people building the future of space and defense.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and growing up around NASA
03:03 Video games and the astronaut dream
06:24 Building a private path to space
09:18 The market crash and rebuilding
10:21 Training for spaceflight and reaching the ISS
13:46 Exploring Antarctica and the deep ocean
16:48 The economics of commercial space
19:34 Starlab and the future of commercial stations
22:00 Looking ahead to the NASA visit

Tim recounts how the Columbia disaster changed the trajectory of the space program and left his astronaut class waiting nine years for its first mission. He describes the years of preparation that followed and the moment it all became worthwhile: opening the hatch for his first spacewalk just four days after launch and seeing Earth pass beneath him at five miles per second.

He also reflects on the experience of viewing our planet from orbit, from its interconnected cities and remarkably thin atmosphere to the seemingly endless abyss beyond it. After two missions and 244 days in space, Tim explains how those experiences shaped his perspective on teamwork, exploration and humanity’s place in the universe.

Tim then traces the path that took him from West Point and Army aviation to aerospace engineering, test pilot school and NASA. He shares the lessons in discipline, humility and leadership that prepared him for human spaceflight, including why astronaut selection ultimately comes down to one surprisingly simple question: Who would you want to go camping with?

The conversation also explores what comes after the International Space Station, why maintaining a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit matters, and how commercial stations such as Starlab can advance scientific research, commercialization and future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Topics Covered

• The Columbia disaster and its impact on NASA’s astronaut corps
• Waiting nine years for a first space mission
• Training for the space shuttle and International Space Station
• Opening the hatch for Tim’s first spacewalk
• Seeing Earth, its atmosphere and the abyss from orbit
• Life aboard the ISS and 244 days in space
• Tim’s path to West Point
• Leadership lessons from Army aviation
• Flying Apaches and becoming an experimental test pilot
• The unconventional path from the Army to NASA
• T-38 flight training and preparing for high-consequence environments
• The international legacy of the ISS
• The transition to commercial space stations
• Starlab and the future of continuous human presence in orbit
• Using low Earth orbit as a proving ground for the Moon and Mars
• What NASA’s astronaut-selection process reveals about teamwork
• Why human spaceflight is ultimately a team sport

Timestamps

01:00 The Columbia disaster and its aftermath
03:00 Tim’s first mission and spacewalk
04:00 Experiencing Earth from orbit
06:00 Earth’s atmosphere and the abyss beyond it
07:00 Tim’s path to West Point
10:00 Life and leadership at West Point
12:00 The childhood dream of becoming an astronaut
14:00 Army aviation and leadership under pressure
16:00 Building an unconventional path to NASA
18:00 T-38 training and spaceflight readiness
20:00 Sharing the experience of space and 244 days in orbit
21:00 Tim’s role at Voyager Technologies
22:00 The international legacy of the ISS
24:00 The transition toward commercial spaceflight
25:00 Starlab and continuous human presence in orbit
27:00 Building a purpose-designed commercial space station
28:00 Connecting low Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars
30:00 Artemis II and the risks of lunar flight
31:00 What it takes to become an astronaut
32:00 The “Who would you camp with?” test
33:00 Why human spaceflight is a team sport

Dylan reflects on growing up in Moscow, Idaho, the influence of his father’s engineering career, and the early experiences that shaped his curiosity about the world. He traces his path from engineering studies and a Swiss electronics company to the University of Chicago, global business leadership, public-company operations and ultimately a deeper question: What difference am I making?

That question led him back to a lifelong fascination with space. Dylan shares how he became involved in the commercial space industry, how he met Matthew Kuta, and how Voyager evolved from an early investment platform into an operating company built for the next era of space and defense technology.

The conversation also explores Voyager’s role in commercial space infrastructure, including Bishop Airlock, Starlab, low Earth orbit, lunar commerce and the company’s three-L strategy: LEO, lunar and Lagrange. Dylan and Slick also discuss Vista, Voyager’s research-flywheel concept connecting universities, industry, microgravity research and future missions across LEO, the Moon and deep space.

Topics Covered

•  Dylan Taylor’s childhood in Idaho 
•  Growing up around engineering, international students and outdoor adventure 
•  The problem-solving value of an engineering education 
•  Early career lessons from a Swiss electronics company 
•  Business school at the University of Chicago 
•  Public-company leadership, capital access and growth strategy 
•  The Aconcagua climb and the leadership value of turning back 
•  Purpose, ambition and the search for meaningful work 
•  How Dylan entered the commercial space industry 
•  The formation and operating vision behind Voyager Technologies 
•  Bishop Airlock and commercial infrastructure on the International Space Station 
•  Starlab and the future of commercial space stations 
•  Voyager’s three-L strategy: low Earth orbit, lunar and Lagrange 
•  Lunar commerce, moon regolith, dust mitigation, power, mobility and habitation 
•  Vista and the future of university-led space research 
•  Inspiring the next generation of explorers, researchers and astronauts 

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to the first episode of The Voyager Podcast
00:41 Dylan Taylor’s origin story: Idaho, family and early influences
04:20 Engineering, critical thinking and becoming a technologist
05:47 Early career at a Swiss electronics company
07:54 University of Chicago, business school and a major career pivot
10:35 Public-company leadership, IPOs and capital strategy
12:30 Adventure, endurance and Aconcagua
15:07 Risk, ambition and the decision to turn around
17:57 Mindset: remembering the good shots
19:00 From corporate success to purpose and space
20:45 The Last Lecture and rediscovering a childhood passion
21:30 Early-stage space investing and pattern recognition
22:30 Meeting Matthew Kuta and forming Voyager
23:28 Voyager’s evolution from “holding company” perception to operating-company vision
24:00 Defense, national security and commercial space innovation
25:06 ISS mission management, Bishop Airlock and commercial space infrastructure
26:13 Starlab and Voyager’s three-L strategy
27:50 Lunar commerce: power, mobility, habitation and moon regolith
30:14 Vista and the global research flywheel
32:00 Research, international collaboration and inspiring the next generation
32:54 “Space is the place”

The Voyager Podcast goes inside that transformation.

Hosted by Voyager’s Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, John “Slick” Baum, each episode features direct conversations with the executives, engineers, astronauts, warfighters, policymakers, and entrepreneurs defining the future of aerospace and national defense.

These are not scripted panels or surface-level talking points. They are candid discussions with people carrying real responsibility across propulsion, energetics, advanced electronics, mission management, commercial space operations, national security, and exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.

Guests include Voyager leaders and external voices from across NASA, the Department of Defense, allied partner nations, the commercial space sector, and the broader aerospace and defense industrial base.

Expect sharp perspectives on national security, the space economy, industrial capacity, commercial space stations, lunar infrastructure, deep-space missions, and the hard engineering required to turn complexity into capability.

The Voyager Podcast is for those building, funding, deploying, and defending the systems that move missions forward.

New episodes drop regularly on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.