Dan Roelker, former hacker turned optics entrepreneur, founded Observable Space in 2025. He describes his mission as “collecting light,” building telescopes and laser communications that boost data rates from orbit. The company aims to turn ground‑based optics into a strategic asset for commercial use in the coming decade. Observable Space positions itself at the intersection of software, hardware, and photonics.

Roelker’s résumé includes a stint at DARPA, where he led offensive cyber programs such as Plan X for national security, then a senior software role at SpaceX overseeing Falcon 9, Starlink, and early Starship flight software. He joined the rocket maker in 2015, helped land the first stage, and later managed the massive satellite‑tracking software that keeps the constellation collision‑free.

Today Roelker runs a team that writes the code linking telescopes to laser links, promising terabit‑per‑second downlinks for future orbital data centers. By turning photons into bandwidth, he believes the next “space race” will be fought on Earth, where nations and corporations that master light will dominate satellite communications and navigation for defense and commerce. His journey illustrates how cyber expertise can reshape aerospace.