November 2025 - Water Works
We're Still Here (And We've Been Surprisingly Busy)
Hey there, space enthusiasts, curious investors, and anyone wondering what that space debris company has been up to!
Remember us? We're the folks who promised to clean up space and build the infrastructure for humanity's orbital future. Well, good news: we're still at it. Better news: we've discovered that some of the most interesting problems to solve are right here on Earth.
The Update
Since our last newsletter, we haven't just been staring at the stars and dreaming. We've been in the workshop, running tests, troubleshooting prototypes, and making real progress on technology that matters both here and eventually up there.
But here's the twist: while perfecting our space-bound systems, we stumbled onto something pretty cool.
Plot Twist: We're Fighting Forever Chemicals
So... we're building a water treatment system now. We know what you're thinking: "Aren't you supposed to be a space company?"
Well, yes. But here's the thing: when you spend enough time thinking about how to survive in space—where every drop of water is precious and recycling is mandatory—you start realizing that clean water is kind of important everywhere. Like, really important.
We're developing a prototype system that tackles PFAS and other forever chemicals using plasma technology. Without getting into the nitty-gritty details (we're keeping some cards close to the vest), early results are looking promising.
We're exploring some innovative approaches to actually breaking down these contaminants rather than just filtering them out and moving the problem elsewhere. If our tests keep going well, this could actually make a difference for communities dealing with water contamination.
Why This Isn't as Random as It Sounds
Look, we could give you the corporate answer about "synergistic applications of dual-use technology" or whatever. But the truth is simpler: we're engineers who like solving hard problems, and PFAS contamination is a really hard problem that affects real people right now.
Plus, there's a beautiful symmetry here. Space travel demands closed-loop life support systems where nothing can be wasted. Earth is increasingly demanding the same thing—we can't just filter contaminants out and pretend they went away. We have to actually break them down and eliminate them.
So yeah, we're a space company working on water treatment. It's like when a rocket company starts making flamethrowers or electric cars. Sometimes the path to your destination goes through unexpected territory.
The Prototype Life
We're currently building and testing our approach with real hardware. It's not industrial scale yet, but it's real equipment doing real work, and the preliminary results are encouraging.
We're also working with collaborators to do more robust testing and validation. Because there's a big difference between "it works in our workshop" and "it works in someone's water treatment facility."
The Earth-First Philosophy Still Makes Sense
Remember our "Earth-Proven, Space-Bound" approach? This is what it looks like in practice. We're building real systems, solving real problems, and learning real lessons about what works and what explodes (figuratively... mostly).
Every prototype we build teaches us something. Every test we run makes us better at designing systems that have to work reliably in harsh environments—whether that environment is a water treatment plant or low Earth orbit.
And honestly? It feels good to work on something that could help people now rather than waiting until we're ready to launch hardware into space.
The Space Dream Lives On
We're still absolutely committed to building orbital infrastructure. The need for space debris removal, satellite servicing, and on-orbit assembly isn't going anywhere—in fact, it's getting more urgent as more satellites go up.
But we're taking the long view. We're building capability, demonstrating competence, and proving that we can take technology from concept to working prototype. Those skills will serve us well whether we're cleaning water on Earth or cleaning up orbital debris in low Earth orbit.
What's Next?
More testing. More refinement. More learning. We're continuing to develop our water treatment system, working toward robust data that'll show whether this approach can scale from a lab curiosity to a practical solution.
We're also still progressing on our space systems—perfecting technology, refining designs, and preparing for when the time is right to take our show to orbit.
And we're growing. If you know talented people who get excited about using plasma to solve hard problems, or who think "space company working on water treatment" sounds like an adventure rather than a contradiction, we'd love to talk.
The Bottom Line
We're still working to preserve humanity's future. We've just realized that "humanity's future" includes having clean water to drink, not just clear orbital paths for satellites.
Our destination hasn't changed. We're just picking up some valuable experience (and hopefully helping some communities) along the way.
Stay in Touch
Questions about plasma water treatment? Curious about how space technology applies to Earth problems? Want to know if we're ever going to actually launch something?
Drop us a line. We're always happy to talk shop, answer questions, or explain why working on two seemingly different problems actually makes perfect sense when you think about it.
Keep looking up (but also keep caring about what's down here),
Your Pragmatic Pioneers, The Marhold Space Systems Team
P.S. We've been rewatching "The Expanse." Turns out the Belters were onto something with their obsession about water and air—turns out those things are pretty important everywhere, not just in space habitats.
P.P.S. Yes, we're still going to space. Yes, we're working on water treatment. No, we don't think that's weird. Yes, we're still looking for the right balance of ambition and pragmatism.
P.P.P.S. If you're working on PFAS issues and want to talk about atmospheric plasma treatment approaches, seriously, email us. We're genuinely excited about this stuff.