About Us

Founded in 2017, we set out with a bold mission: to create a sustainable future in space by transforming resources in orbit into valuable products supporting a thriving in-space economy. We believe that the future of space is not just exploration—it’s infrastructure.

We envision a future where Earth’s orbit is not just a destination, but an engine of economic growth—where spacecraft are built, maintained, and powered in orbit. We are pioneering technologies that solve some of space’s most pressing challenges today, while laying the groundwork for a thriving, off-Earth industrial ecosystem.

CisLunar Industries is engineering the infrastructure of tomorrow’s space economy—today.

History

2017

Company Founded

CisLunar Industries is launched with the goal to build space infrastructure

2021

NASA SBIR Grant Awarded

Selected for a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop in-space metal processing prototypes.

2022

First Lab Demonstrator Built

Successful demonstration of key thermal and electromagnetic processing techniques for space debris metallurgy.

2023

Coupling Test with a 1 kW Hall-Effect-Thruster

Successful demonstration of our power supply solution by testing a 1kW HET in a vacuum chamber

2024

Gaining Space Heritage: 2x SpaceX - Falcon 9 Flights
Tested our power supply solution to power hardware in one orbital and one suborbital flight on a Falcon 9 within the same year.

2025

Space Force and SpaceWERX Contract

A direct to Phase II SBIR $1.9M contract as part of their Sustained Space Maneuver (SSM) Challenge

Leadership

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Gary Calnan - CFA
Co-Founder & CEO

Gary Calnan is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive, currently serving as CEO of CisLunar Industries. Before entering the space sector, Gary held senior finance roles at IQNavigator (later merged with Beeline), where he led financial operations across global regions, drove post-merger integration, and improved forecasting processes—earning company-wide recognition.

He began his career in finance and investment strategy, notably developing high-performing portfolio models at Dunn Warren Investment Advisors. Earlier, he founded and led NightRiders, Inc., a socially driven transportation startup that raised significant funding and earned national accolades for innovation.

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Joe Pawelski - MEng
Co-Founder & CTO

Joe Pawelski is a technologist, inventor, and aerospace systems engineer with deep expertise in advanced manufacturing, automation, and in-space hardware development. As Co-Founder and CTO of CisLunar Industries and serves as systems architect for hardware supporting a future cislunar economy.

Joe’s earlier career spans over a decade of innovation in high-speed automation and lean manufacturing. As VP of Technology at Flexibility Engineering, he invented the Anysize pneumatic servo and scaled automation systems for major global brands. He also held leadership and technical roles at Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Environmental Energy Technology, and General Motors Fuel Cell, where he worked on non-thermal plasma diesel emission systems and fuel cell R&D. Outside aerospace, he co-founded Trinity Spirits, crafting award-winning absinthe through a blend of scientific precision and creative experimentation.

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Lee Steinke - MSc, MBA, PG
COO

Lee Steinke is a seasoned executive with 25+ years of leadership experience across aerospace, energy, and technical operations. As COO of CisLunar Industries, she drives strategy, operations, and execution. She has also held interim and advisory leadership roles at Orbit Fab, Canopy Aerospace, and NewSpace Nexus, supporting early-stage space ventures through operational transitions, commercialization, and strategic planning.

Before pivoting into aerospace, Lee held executive roles in the energy sector, including VP of Geoscience at Discovery Natural Resources and Geosciences Manager at WPX Energy and Williams, where she led multidisciplinary technical teams, drove cross-functional optimization, and oversaw budgets in the hundreds of millions.

Her earlier career includes exploration geoscience at Texaco, editorial work at Heldref Publications, and marketing leadership at a national B2B firm. Lee is known for integrating technical rigor with organizational vision, particularly in high-growth or transitional environments.

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Walter Schroeder - PhD
Co-Founder & CPO

Walter is a multidisciplinary innovator and executive whose career spans deep tech, space systems, product innovation, and business development across Europe and the United States. As Chief Product Officer and Board Member at CisLunar Industries, he currently leads strategic direction, innovation management, and quality management.

Prior to that, as the company’s CIO, he spent five years spearheading IT infrastructure and forging high-impact partnerships to advance industrial capabilities beyond Earth orbit. His earlier roles in Luxembourg—ranging from Managing Director to Head of IP and Earth Applications—underscore his ability to translate emerging technologies into scalable prototypes.

His hands-on engineering background, is paired with deep business acumen gained through roles at SAP, Roche, and CTAE. As a PhD researcher and lecturer in electrotactile feedback systems, a global faculty member at the International Space University, and a digital transformation expert in the banking sector, Walter brings a rare fusion of scientific rigor, visionary leadership, and cross-sector experience to any frontier-facing challenge.

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Ubaldo Ciminieri
Chief of Staff

Ubaldo "The Space Ace" is Chief of Staff, leveraging his talent strategy and communications expertise to help establish a sustainable manufacturing economy in space. He is a dynamic podcast producer and host, space entrepreneur, and advocate for inclusion, collaboration, and creativity. With a deep passion for space exploration and a commitment to making the space industry more accessible, Ubaldo has carved out a unique niche where he bridges the gap between science, art, and culture.

He is also co-founder of a healthcare technology company, TalentBloom Health, providing an interview platform to support interviewers to deliver unbiased evaluations of candidates, and The Traveling Space Panel, which organizes thought-provoking discussions that bring together experts from various fields to explore the intersections of art, entertainment, culture, technology, and science in the context of space exploration.

Ubaldo uses his voice and his platforms to explore humanity's journey into space through diverse lenses. His work focuses on making space approachable by highlighting the stories of individuals from all walks of life who are contributing to the space industry. He emphasizes how art, music, fashion, and entertainment intersect with space exploration, ensuring that the conversation around space is inclusive and representative of everyone.