Space Business Podcast

#178 | Heritage Meets New Space | Kristin Houston, Rocketdyne Nov 2, 2026 53:32 My guest this week is Kristin Houston, CEO of Rocketdyne, the propulsion company behind engines like the RL10, and that has just become an independent company again after more than 60 years of heritage, most recently as part of Aerojet Rocketdyne and L3Harris. We talk about what it takes to combine that legacy with new space speed and culture, how the RL10 was modernized with additive manufacturin

#177 | Bluetooth to Space | Alex Haro, Hubble Oct 24, 2026 50:58 My guest this week is Alex Haro, co-founder and CEO of Hubble Network, which is building a low Earth orbit satellite constellation that any Bluetooth chip can talk to directly, with nothing more than a software update. We get into how a Bluetooth "whisper" can be heard from orbit, Hubble's B2B model, early traction and the path to 60 satellites, use cases from asset and package tracking to livesto

#176 | Science Fiction | Mary Robinette Kowal Oct 16, 2026 52:13 Something a little different this week: a science fiction special! My guest is Mary Robinette Kowal, the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of the Lady Astronaut series and The Spare Man. We talk about getting the space science right in hard sci-fi, how AI, politics and spirituality show up (or don't) in science fiction, and how talking with her cat Elsie through word buttons has changed the way

#175 | Space Infrastructure | John Rood, Momentus Oct 6, 2026 57:22 Momentus is one of still relatively few space companies listed on a stock exchange. Their offerings include satellites, hosted payload services, and last mile transportation for other people's satellites. CEO John Rood is our guest this week to tell us all about that, and also what it is like to be a publicly-listed space company. Enjoy! 1:29 — Elevator Pitch 2:11 — Momentus Satellites and Orbita

#174 | Persistent Imaging | Mark Keremedjiev, Orbital Sentry Sep 29, 2026 51:18 We have another episode on remote sensing, and my guest is Mark Keremedjiev from a startup called Orbital Sentry. Mark tell us why persistent monitoring from geosynchronous orbit makes sense for use cases including wildfires. 0:00 — Introduction 1:11 — Welcome & Elevator Pitch 2:13 — The LEO Data Access Problem 4:29 — Wildfires & a Dynamic World 6:05 — XPRIZE for Wildfire Detection 8:29

#173 | Optical Communications | Rohit Jha, Transcelestial Sep 13, 2026 57:47 Space lasers - we are talking about space lasers again -- for optical communications rather than more sinister purposes, at least for the moment. Our guest this week is Rohit Jha from Singapore-based startup Transcelestial. Optical communications are becoming an even bigger topic than they have been before, in part thanks to orbital data centers. We talk all about that, and much more, in the epis

#172 | Space Research | Lucie Low, Axiom Space Aug 4, 2026 52:07 Lucie Low is the Chief Science Officer of Axiom Space, a prominent space company developing its own space station and conducting private astronaut missions, among other activities. Lucie and I talk about what interesting use cases are for in-space research and manufacturing, what remains to be done to make it a large-scale reality, and other related topics. Enjoy! 🔗 Axiom Space https://www.axioms

#171 | An Exchange for the Space Sector | Tejpaul Bhatia, Nebex Jul 6, 2026 1:09:48 Nebex is a new exchange for the global space sector. It just came out of stealth recently, but it already raised a $30 million seed round led by Google Ventures. The co-founder and CEO, Tejpaul Bhatia, is our guest for this episode. Enjoy. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Podcast Intro 1:45 — Elevator Pitch 3:01 — The Problem: Cross-Border Space Friction 15:06 — Real-World Examples incl. Axiom 34:04 — The P

#170 | Reusable Satellites | Brian Taylor, Lux Aeterna Jun 19, 2026 44:31 Reusable satellites are our topic this week. Why they make sense, what the economics are, and other related questions. Our guest is Brian Taylor, CEO & founder of Lux Aeterna, a Colorado-based startup working on exactly this. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Podcast Intro 1:01 — Elevator Pitch 3:18 — Brian's Background & Origin Story 8:43 — The Satellite: Design & Technology 13:57 — Heat Sh

#169 | Next-Gen Satellite Navigation| Brian Manning, Xona Space Systems Jun 6, 2026 55:56 This week we’re talking about satellite navigation. All of us are using it every day mostly in its best-known form, GPS. Now there is a startup company trying to make satellite navigation much better. What that means, and how they’re doing it are among the topics I’m discussing with Brian Manning, CEO and co-founder of Xona Space Systems. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro

#168 | Space-based Solar Power | Marc Berte, Overview Energy May 16, 2026 1:01:09 Space-based solar power – it’s a hot and electrifying topic again (sorry for the pun!) What is the state of the art? What are the commercial use cases? How do the economics look? We’ll dive into this and more with our guest Marc Berte, CEO & Founder of Overview Energy. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:07 Elevator Pitch 02:25 Dr. Evil to Reality 03:54 Why Space Solar

#167 | Japan Space Ecosystem | Francois Poncin, SPACETIDE Apr 20, 2026 43:19 Japan: This week we are getting an introduction to the Japanese space ecosystem. My guest is Francois Poncin. He is the Chief Operating Officer of the SPACETIDE Foundation, which does many things, but one of them is organizing what is arguably Japan's biggest and most important space conference. 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:45 SPACETIDE 02:56 Francois' Background 04:53 Japan Spa

#166 | Satellites 2.0 | Patrick Haddox, Samara Aerospace Apr 7, 2026 35:04 Samara Aerospace is a San Francisco-based space startup that has come up with a very interesting new tech solution for pointing satellites accurately and quickly. Now they are developing a satellite bus based on this technology. Our guest this week is Patrick Haddox, Samara's co-founder and CEO. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:26 Elevator Pitch 02:05 Solar Panel Pointing Tec

#165 | Launch Services | Robert Sproles, Exolaunch Mar 27, 2026 46:08 Exolaunch is a company that is an integral part of the space ecoystem. They sit in the middle between people wanting to launch satellites and the launch/rocket companies. They have already helped get many hundreds of satellites to space. CEO Robert Sproles is our guest this week. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:06 Episode start 01:28 Exolaunch Elevator Pitch 03:14 Why Robert

#164 | Earth Return | Ryohei Kobayashi, Elevation Space Feb 14, 2026 42:15 Elevation Space is a Japanese startup working on downmass – bringing things back from space to Earth – leveraging Japan’s strong heritage in reentry and recovery technologies. CEO and co-founder Ryohei Kobayashi in our guest. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:35 Elevator Pitch 03:49 Origin Story 09:11 Product & Missions 17:22 Payload Strategy 18:53 Customers & Use Cases

#163 | Spaceports | Ketil Olsen, Andøya Space Feb 4, 2026 42:32 The most beautiful launchsite in the world – that is my description for this week’s episode. Andøya Space is a space launch center in Northern Norway. It is kind of what you would imagine if Disney’s Frozen had a rocket launch site. Jokes aside, it is a serious strategic asset that has launched rockets since 1962 and now has German launch company Isar Aerospace as an orbital launch customer. My gu

#162 | A New LEO Broadband Constellation | Rafel Jordá Siquier, Open Cosmos Jan 15, 2026 45:46 Open Cosmos, a European space scale-up, has cemented a reputation as a reliable provider and operator of satellites for various mission types. Now they have secured priority spectrum to build a new LEO broadband satellite communications constellation. Co-founder and CEO Rafel Jordá Siquier is our guest to tell us about it. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:13 Elevator Pitch 02:05

#161 | The Dell of Satellites | Ian Cinnamon, Apex Space Jan 12, 2026 42:52 Apex Space is a Los Angeles based satellite bus manufacturer. They want to productize satellite buses and build them at scale for government and commercial customers. Our guest is co-founder and CEO Ian Cinnamon. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:00 Welcome & Elevator Pitch 03:06 Origin Story 10:33 Challenges in Satellite Manufacturing 14:18 Vertical Integration and Supply Chai

#160 | 2026 in Space Preview | Raphael Roettgen, E2MC Jan 6, 2026 21:19 This is my preview of what the year 2026 may hold for the Space sector - including in launch, lunar, space applications, science, government, finance, events, etc. 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:57 Intro: Preview of 2026 in the Space Sector 02:45 Launches & Rockets 07:27 Lunar Missions 09:12 Space Stations & Downmass 11:05 Human Spaceflight 12:01 Space Applications 14:51 Space Scie

#159 | SpaceX IPO | Aaron Burnett, Mach33 Dec 22, 2025 1:06:52 There has been a lot of recent talk about a potential SpaceX IPO. I sit down with Aaron Burnett, co-founder and CEO of Mach33, to discuss. Mach33 and Ark Invest collaborate on an open-sourced SpaceX financial model. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:25 Episode Overview: SpaceX IPO and Business Model 03:07 Aaron Burnett 04:54 Understanding SpaceX's Businesses 09:31 Launch Business

#158 | Optical Comms As-a-Service | Jordan Vannitsen, Odysseus Space Dec 16, 2025 48:19 Space lasers again! Odysseus Space from Luxembourg focuses on providing optical communications solutions between Space and Earth as a service. If you seem to notice that is not the first episode on optical communications, you’re right – I think this will be a potentially very big theme going forward. Our guest this week is Odysseus’ CEO & Co-Founder Jordan Vannitsen. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps:

#157 | Keeping Satellites Stable | Alessandro Stabile, Magma Space Dec 8, 2025 41:38 Magma Space is a U.S. startup with advanced technology to help keep satellites stable / jitter-free, which is more important to satellite communications and remote sensing than you may realize. We have Magma's CEO & Co-Founder Alessandro Stabile as our guest to help explain. 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 02:02 Elevator Pitch 04:31 Markets & Customers 10:11 Origin Story 15:50 Techn

#156 | Hyperspectral Earth Intelligence | Awais Ahmed, Pixxel Nov 28, 2025 54:15 Pixxel is a prominent earth observation startup originally from India and now present in the U.S., too. They are focused on so-called hyperspectral imaging. CEO & Co-Founder Awais Ahmed is our guest. 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:23 Elevator Pitch 03:32 Origin Story 07:51 Hyperspectral Imaging 09:54 Market Demand and Use Cases 18:25 Hyperspectral vs. Multispectral 22:07 Pixxel's Sa

#155 | Real-time Geospatial Intelligence | Michael Bartholomeusz, Novi Space Nov 18, 2025 38:30 How can you get real-time intelligence from space rapidly and cheaply? Novi Space is a startup from Virginia that uses its own hardware and on-orbit edge processing to do just that. Their CEO Michael Bartholomeusz is our guest this week. 🕰️ Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast Intro 01:33 Elevator Pitch 02:50 Real-Time Intelligence and Use Cases 06:02 Technical Details 12:02 Commercial and Defense Applic

#154 | Optical Communications | JF Morizur, Cailabs Nov 10, 2025 51:47 Cailabs is a French laser company and one thing they are doing are optical communications between Earth to Space. This has a number of advantages over radio frequency communications, which is why it is being adopted by customers, for example in defense. The company also just raised EUR57M. Founder & CEO JF Morizur is our guest. 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast Introduction 01:08 Intro & Ele

#153 | Earth Intelligence| Prateep Basu, SatSure Nov 3, 2025 47:11 SatSure is an Earth intelligence company from India, processing satellite imagery to generate insights for various industry verticals. Co-founder and CEO Prateep Basu is our guest. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast Introduction 01:10 Elevator Pitch 02:51 Non-Defense Markets 05:22 Market Education 08:27 Market Verticals 16:47 SatSure's Product 19:46 Satellite Data 23:43 Future Proprietary Data

#152 | Space Robots | Ethan Barajas & Jamie Palmer, Icarus Robotics Oct 27, 2025 46:30 SPACE ROBOTS! We are are talking about this exciting topic again in this episode. Icarus Robotics is a NY-based space robotics start up that just raised its $6M seed financing round. Co-founders Ethan Barajas and Jamie Palmer are our guests. 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast introduction 01:33 Elevator Pitch 02:56 Role of Robots in Space Stations 05:42 Challenges and Innovations in Space Robotics 12:

#151 | Advanced Composites | Trevor Smith, Atomic-6 Oct 20, 2025 40:55 Atomic-6 is an advanced composites solutions manufacturer providing products such as satellite solar arrays and Space Armor(TM), based in Atlanta. Founder & CEO Trevor Smith is our guest this week. 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast Intro 02:02 Elevator Pitch on Atomic-6 02:43 The Advantages of Composites in Space 04:00 From Real Estate to Advanced Composites: Trevor's Journey 04:14 The Birth of At

#150 | Methane Monitoring | Daria Stepanova, Airmo Aug 27, 2025 41:04 Monitoring greenhouse gases, including from Space. That’s our topic this week. We therefore have another earth observation startup on the show as our guests: Airmo from Germany. They’re developing an innovative instrument including LiDAR to track greenhouse gases. Founder-CEO Daria Stepanova joins me to explain their technology and market in more detail. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 0

#149 | Mini-Brains in Space | Prof. Alysson Muotri, UC San Diego Jul 28, 2025 49:54 Mini-brains in space. Did you know that we can study something called brain organoids, effectively mini-brains, in the special conditions in space, on the International Space Station, and that such studies may help us with diseases like Alzheimers, Autism or Parkinsons? My guest this week is Prof. Alysson Muotri from the University of California San Diego. He and his team have flown such brain org

#148 | Making Space Safe & Sustainable | Tim Solms, Slingshot Aerospace Jul 21, 2025 46:57 How can we make operating in space safe & sustainable for everyone? Given the risks we face up there, like space debris and adversarial actors. This is where a company like Slingshot Aerospace comes in with its sensors, data, and insights derived from that data. My guest this week is their CEO, Tim Solms. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:44 Elevator Pitch 01:53 Founders and Mission of Sli

#147 | Space & Biology | Paul Kamoun, SpacePharma Jul 15, 2025 43:07 Space & Biology – we have another episode on this exciting intersection of deep tech themes. My guest this week is Paul Kamoun from SpacePharma. He also organizes an entire conference on space bio, called “Health from Space” every year. We talk about what use cases he finds most exciting, and the opportunities and challenges on the road to scaling space biology into the next big thing. Enjoy!

#146 | Space Financing | Justin Stevens, Overlap Holdings Jun 17, 2025 48:48 Is the space sector actually financed in the right way? That’s probably the main question I’m discussing with my guest Justin Stevens, founder and CEO of the investment firm Overlap Holdings. He spent 18 years at Apollo Global Management, a very prominent private equity firm. So he’s a Wall Street guy like me and, I think, qualified to voice an opinion on this questions which we may not ask enough

#145 | Commercial Space - Uncensored | Pierre Lionnet, ASD-Eurospace May 19, 2025 1:07:35 My guest this week is Pierre Lionnet, Director of Research at Eurospace, who has followed the global space sector for over 30 years. We discuss a range of topics including e.g. SpaceX, the launch sector in general, and national space policies. Pierre is one of my favorite people to follow on space as he usually provides very frank and thought out opinions. I think this comes through in this episod

#144 | Downmass Logistics | Sebastian Klaus, ATMOS Space Cargo May 12, 2025 46:47 My guest this week is Sebastian Klaus, Co-Founder & CEO of Atmos Space Cargo, who discusses his company’s mission to unlock downmass logistics with an innovative and reusable space capsule, paving the way for in-space manufacturing, defense applications, and other applications. 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:59 - Elevator Pitch 02:07 - Importance of Returning Cargo from Space 04:24 -

#143 | Mining the Moon | Glen Martin, XMC Apr 21, 2025 59:17 My guest this week is Glen Martin, Co-Founder & CEO of Extraterrestrial Mining Company (XMC), discusses his company’s bold mission to mine Helium-3 on the Moon and its potential to revolutionize energy and tech on Earth. 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:36 - Elevator Pitch 03:42 - Understanding Helium-3 and Its Applications 11:59 - Tech Aspects of Lunar Mining 20:39 - Future Prospect

#142 | Commercial In-Space R&D and Manufacturing | Raphael Roettgen, E2MC Ventures Apr 14, 2025 32:06 This episode kicks off a new series on in-space R&D and manufacturing, exploring its potential (e.g. for sectors like pharma and semiconductors), its current status, and its challenges, among other topics. At the end of this episode, Raphael highlights the recent launch of the Orbital Edge accelerator to support startups in this emerging sector. Orbital Edge Accelerator: https://orbitaledge.

#141 | In-Orbit Servicing | Adel Haddoud, Infinite Orbits Mar 17, 2025 47:45 My guest this week is Adel Haddoud, Founder & CEO of Infinite Orbits, a French in-orbit servicing company. We discuss their technology, business model, and vision, as well as the broader market for satellite servicing and space sustainability. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:04 - Elevator Pitch 03:30 - Origin Story 04:51 - Technological Innovations 07:35 - Core of the Company 0

#140 | Mining Asteroids | Daynan Crull, Karman+ Mar 10, 2025 49:05 Asteroid mining is making a comeback. It may sound futuristic, but some startups are betting on a viable and economic path to making it a reality and investors are taking notice. One of those companies is Karman+, and this week, I’m joined by its Co-Founder, Daynan Crull. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:13 - Elevator Pitch 04:18 - Vision and Challenges of Asteroid Mining 06:07

#139 | Space to Grow | Matthew Weinzierl & Brendan Rosseau Feb 17, 2025 56:29 Space to Grow is a new book on the space economy. Its authors, Matt Weinzierl, a professor at Harvard Business School, and Brendan Rosseau, also formerly of Harvard and now in strategy at Blue Origin, are my guests this week. Enjoy! Space to Grow: Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier (Harvard Business Publishing, 2025) https://www.amazon.com/Space-Grow-Unlocking-Economic-Frontier/dp/1647827167#

#138 | European Micro-Launch | Stanislas Maximin, Latitude Feb 10, 2025 1:03:35 My guest this week is Stan Maximin, Founder & Executive Chairman of Latitude, a French micro-launch company. We discuss Latitude's rocket, target customers, and vision, as well as the wider launch market in Europe and globally. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:28 - Elevator Pitch 02:57 - Starting a Launch Company 11:20 - The Product 16:44 - Competitive Edge 25:30 - Design Decisions &am

#137 | Self-Assembling Space Habitats | Ariel Ekblaw, Aurelia Institute & Foundry Jan 20, 2025 45:21 Ariel Ekblaw is an MIT aero-astro engineer who founded the MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative, and developed a new technique to build large-scale space structures. She now runs the Aurelia Institute, a non-for-profit dedicated to building humanity’s future in space and the Aurelia Foundry, a space-focused VC fund. We talk about all of these things in this episode. Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps:

#136: Space Piracy | Hugh Taylor & Marc Feldman Jan 13, 2025 44:29 Space Piracy is a new book about the prospect of organized crime in the space sector, anything ranging from hacking for ransom payments all the way to, some time in the future, actual piracy. The book’s co-authors, Marc Feldman and Hugh Taylor are my guests Enjoy! 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:28 Meet the Authors: Mark Feldman and Hugh Taylor 04:10 The Genesis of the Book 05:55 Speculat

#135 | 2025 in Space Preview | Raphael & Friends Dec 28, 2024 51:20 This is my preview of what the coming year 2025 may hold for the Space sector - including in launch, satcom, earth observation, lunar exploration, in-space manufacturing, science, government, finance, events, etc. For the second half of the episode, fellow space investors Alexandra Vidyuk and Faraz Khan join me to provide their perspectives, in a roundtable format. 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduc

#134: On-Orbit Services | Chris Blackerby, Astroscale Dec 16, 2024 55:20 Astroscale is a prominent space company from Japan, focused on a variety of on-orbit services incl. active space debris removal. My guest is their Group Chief Operating Officer, Chris Blackerby. 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:41 - Elevator Pitch 03:22 - On-Orbit Servicing Categories 06:53 - Core Competency of Astroscale: RPOD 09:00 - Tech Stack of current Mission 12:41 - Automated Space

Space Business Podcast #133 - Mike Grace, Longshot Space: Building Space Cannons Dec 9, 2024 1:08:05 My guest this week: Mike Grace, Founder and CEO of Longshot Space. Longshot is developing a kinetic launch system, using a multi-injection gas-powered cannon to send payloads to orbit at significantly reduced costs. Mike explains the engineering behind the technology, its economic advantages, and the challenges of creating a system capable of high-velocity launches. 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Countd

Space Business Podcast #132 - Karthik Gollapudi, Sift: Complex Hardware Telemetry Dec 2, 2024 39:08 My guest this week, Karthik Gollapudi, led the software team for SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. In this role, he realized the importance of monitoring complex hardware systems in order to detect faults or ideally prevent them before they even happen. That led him to become co-founder and CEO of Sift, a venture-funded startup dedicated to monitoring and analyzing hardware telemetry, and Sift is the topic

Space Business Podcast #131: John Conafay, Integrate: Complex Hardware Team Collaboration Nov 25, 2024 44:20 Integrate is a venture-backed startup from Seattle who are building a platform to facilitate teams collaborating on developing complex hardware, such as space hardware. Integrate’s co-founder & CEO John Conafay is here to talk about how this was done before Integrate, how Integrate aims to improve it, and many other things about the business. Enjoy! Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com

Space Business Podcast #130 - Stephen Matier, Maritime Launch: Spaceports Nov 18, 2024 50:30 Spaceports should become a bigger business going forward if all goes well in the space sector and we will have ever more rockets launching from ever more locations. This is why some private companies are now getting into this market. One of them is Maritime Launch from Canada, who are developing a spaceport in Novia Scotia. My guest this week, Founder & CEO Stephen Matier, will tell us all abo

Space Business Podcast #129 - Kelly Weinersmith, Co-Author: A City On Mars Nov 11, 2024 55:17 A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through? – That is the title of a book published in late 2023 which then became an instant NY Times bestseller and went on to win a 2024 Hugo Award. My guest this week is Kelly Weinersmith, one of its two authors, together with her husband. The book is a critical, and humorously written, examination of the

Space Business Podcast #128 - Jordi Barrera Ars, Open Cosmos: Satellites as Shared Infrastructure Nov 4, 2024 53:22 Open Cosmos is a prominent European new space startup providing and operating satellites. They recently won a EUR60MM contract to build a remote sensing constellation for the Greek government, beating out strong and established competitors. Their co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Jordi Barrera Ars is my guest. Enjoy! Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space LinkedIn - https

Space Business Podcast #127 - Will Crowe, HEO: Non-Earth Imaging Oct 28, 2024 47:02 HEO, a space startup from Australia, uses sensors on-orbit to identify, characterize and monitor space objects at scale. Objects such as debris, but also active satellites. You can imagine there are a number of civil and defense use cases here. So-called Space Situational Awareness is a big topic these days. HEO’s founder & CEO Will Crowe is one of the best people to talk about it. Enjoy! Foll

Space Business Podcast #126 - Mo Shahzad, Relativity Space: Launch Jun 16, 2024 49:57 Relativity Space, from Long Beach, California, is probably one the best-known launch startups in the world. They had a partially successful launch of their Terran One rocket last year, are now working towards the launch of the much larger Terran R, have 1200 employees and raised over $1bn in funding. My guest is their President & CFO Mo Shahzad and we talk about all things Relativity but also

Space Business Podcast # 125 - Ankit Anand, Kicksky May 7, 2024 46:56 This week we are talking about KickSky, the first incubator for Indian space startups, which is having the demo day of its first cohort on 8-May. I am talking to Ankit Anand, Partner of Riceberg Ventures and a co-founder of KickSky. We talk about why the timing is right for an Indian space incubator, what the incubation program looks like, and many other things. For full disclosure, E2MC, the spac

Space Business Podcast #124 - Johannes Torpe: A Designer domesticating Space Apr 27, 2024 58:38 Johannes Torpe is a well-known Danish designer who, among many other things, was the Creative Director at Bang & Olufsen, and once owned a space-themed night club called NASA. He is passionate about what he calls “domesticating space” – bringing space closer to people at large, beyond the existing space community. We met at Spacecom in Orlando earlier this year and finally had a chance to sche

Space Business Podcast #123 - José Manuel Rodríguez, PLD Space: Launch Apr 18, 2024 58:57 PLD Space is a Spanish launch startup. Last October, they successfully completed a suborbital test flight of their Miura-1 rocket. We talk about that flight, their future plans on the way to orbital launch, the launch market at large, and many other things, with my guest, PLD’s CFO, José Manuel Rodríguez. Enjoy! https://www.pldspace.com/en/ Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_spa

Space Business Podcast #122 - Alexandra Vidyuk, Space Ambition & Aloniq VC Apr 12, 2024 42:52 Space Ambition is a very popular space blog on Substack, with over 11000 subscribers. Its founder Alexandra Vidyuk is our guest this week. She is also a space tech investor at Aloniq VC. We talk about both of her roles. Enjoy! Space ambition blog: https://spaceambition.substack.com/ Aloniq VC: https://www.aloniq.com/ Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space LinkedIn - https://www

Space Business Podcast #121 - Aaron Kemmer, Max Space: Inflatables Apr 9, 2024 1:00:08 Inflatable space modules is what we are talking about in this episode, and that is Max Space’s product, a company that just came out more publicly at Space Symposium. My guest for the episode is CEO & co-founder Aaron Kemmer, who some of you may remember from his previous role as a co-founder of the in-space manufacturing company Made in Space. Aaron and I talk about his motivation to set up M

Space Business Podcast #120 - AdAstra - Space Talent Advisory Apr 3, 2024 1:05:15 We are talking about the space job market in this episode. My guests are Seyka and Brian Mejeur, the founders of AdAstra, a space talent advisory or headhunting firm. Besides talking about the trends in the space job market in general, we also discuss some advice specifically for job candidates and for space founders. Make sure to listen in! AdAstra website: https://adastra.us/ Legacy vs. Startup

Space Business Podcast #119 - Luke Fischer, SkyFi: EO data Feb 27, 2024 53:33 We are back talking about Earth observation. Specifically about how to make accessing and using EO data user-friendly. Our guest this week is Luke Fischer, co-founder & CEO of Sky-Fi, an Austin-based startup that is essentially an EO market place and app store. Luke tells us all about SkyFi and his view on the state of EO in general. Enjoy! Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_

Space Business Podcast #118 - Sho Nakanose, Gitai: Space Robotics Feb 19, 2024 53:33 Two words: space robotics. Gitai, founded in Japan and now headquartered in the U.S. wants to significantly bring down the cost of labor in space -in orbit, on space stations, on the Moon, even on Mars- with its robotic technology. My guest is Gitai’s founder & CEO, Sho Nakanose. Gitai website (incl. careers): https://gitai.tech/ Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Linke

2024 in Space - Preview Dec 29, 2023 26:52 This is our annual preview episode, about some of the key things which may happen in the space sector in 2024. Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/raphael_space/ Learn more about space & the space economy: SPACE ECONOMY BOOK: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on the Space econ

Space Business Podcast #117 - Jessica Frick, Stanford XLab, In-Space Manufacturing of Advanced Materials Dec 16, 2023 1:09:09 In-space manufacturing is what we are discussing in this episode, and we have a really cool and qualified guest: Jessica Frick is a researcher at Stanford’s XLab, the extreme environment microsystems lab. They recently held a workshop on semiconductor manufacturing in microgravity, just published a white paper about it (linked below), and are now setting up an institute focused on manufacturing ad

Space Business Podcast #116 - Omar Qaise, OQ Technology: Satellite IoT Nov 24, 2023 54:20 Satellite IoT, or internet of things – we have another episode on this topic. Which devices or machines can we connect via satellite communications, how and why? Our guest is Omar Qaise, the founder & CEO of Luxembourg-based OQ Technology, a prominent satellite IoT startup that has already several satellites in orbit. Enjoy! Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space LinkedIn -

Space Business Podcast #115 - Dorit Donoviel, TRISH: Space Health Oct 27, 2023 1:02:06 Space & bio – we finally have the 2nd episode in our subseries on this topic. Dorit Donoviel is the Director of the Translational Research Institute for Space Health. TRISH is an institute that is cooperating with NASA and conducting a fascinating range of research regarding human health in space. Our discussion touches on many topics, ranging from challenges to human physiology in microgravit

Space Business Podcast #114 - Andrew Nutter, Gama Space: Light Sails Oct 13, 2023 50:22 Light sails – really thin sails that are propelled by photons flying around in space – have been proposed as an alternative propulsion method to travel the cosmos for a long time. Now, there is a startup company in France working to commercialize them. Their co-founder & CEO, Andrew Nutter, is our guest this week. Enjoy! SPACE ECONOMY BOOK: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on the Spac

Space Business Podcast #113 - Giovanni Pandolfi, Leaf Space: Satellite Ground Segment Oct 9, 2023 44:05 The ground segment for satellites is obviously an important part of the space ecosystem. Giovanni Pandolfi is a co-founder of LeafSpace, one of the prominent startups in this field. https://leaf.space/ Enjoy! SPACE ECONOMY BOOK: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on the Space economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

Space Business Podcast #112 - Tushar Jadhav, Manastu Space: In-Space Propulsion Sep 29, 2023 49:26 India's space sector is really blasting off (pun intended!). Among other things, the country just became only the fourth one to soft land on the Moon. So it's only fitting that we'll have more Indian space companies and people as guests. Our first one is Tushar Jadhav, founder and CEO of Manastu Space, a propulsion startup from Mumbai that recently announced a $3MM financing round (for full disclo

Space Business Podcast #111 - Loren Grush: The Six - The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts Sep 22, 2023 42:38 My guest this week is Loren Grush. You may know her already as a space journalist, currently at Bloomberg and previously at The Verge. She also just published a book: “The Six” is telling the story of America’s first women astronauts - and that is what we’re talking about in this episode. Enjoy! Loren's book "The Six": https://www.simonandschuster.biz/books/The-Six/Loren-Grush/9781982172800 SPACE

Space Business Podcast #110 - Jaret Matthews, Astrolab: Planetary Rovers Sep 15, 2023 53:08 Our guest this week is building a lunar rover. Jaret Matthews is the CEO & Founder of Astrolab, based in Hawthorne, CA. He was previously at SpaceX and also at JPL, where he worked on Mars rovers. Come join us to hear all about planetary rovers! https://astrolab.space/ SPACE ECONOMY BOOK: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on the Space economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Up

Space Business Podcast #109 - Chiara Manfletti, Neuraspace: Space Traffic Management Aug 17, 2023 51:21 Space Traffic Management continues to be a hot topic as we keep on hearing about companies like SpaceX having to execute large numbers of collision avoidance maneuvers. Portugal-based Neuraspace is focused on this and has raised a significant amount of money already to build their AI-based platform. COO Chiara Manfletti is our guest this week. Enjoy! JUST OUT: Raphael's fully revised introductory

Space Business Podcast #108 - Chris Carberry: Alcohol in Space Aug 7, 2023 46:38 Alcohol in Space 🍸 – that is actually the title of an existing book, written by Chris Carberry, who is also the CEO of Explore Mars. Chris is our guest this week and we’re talking about everything alcohol in space – from the history of liquor consumption in space, over its effects in microgravity, all the way to what kind of drinks we may produce in space in the future. Cheers & enjoy! JUST OU

Space Business Podcast #107 - Ben Haldeman, LifeShip: DNA to Space Jul 28, 2023 39:48 Do you want to send your DNA to space - to orbit, or to the Moon? You can already do that: LifeShip is a California-based startup offering that service. They have already sold thousands of their kits. Hear about their story from founder Ben Haldeman, who was also an early employee at Planet, the well-known Eartly observation company. Enjoy! JUST OUT: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on th

Space Business Podcast #106 - Karan Kunjur, K2 Space: Big Satellites Jul 21, 2023 46:06 Big satellites, REALLY big satellites – for the age of Starship. That is what our guest company this week is working on – K2 Space from Long Beach, CA - and they just raised an $8.5MM seed round. I talk to their co-founder Karan Kunjur about their satellite platform, its potential use cases, and much more. Enjoy! JUST OUT: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on the Space economy, "To Infinit

Space Business Podcast #105 - Sex in Space - Simon Dubé Jul 17, 2023 56:00 Sex in Space – I feel like I don’t need to say anything else about this episode. But jokes aside – besides sexual health being an important issue on long duration space missions in general, one important topic is the question of reproduction in space. We touch upon these topics and more in my conversation with Simon Dubé, a post-doctoral researcher at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University on

Space Business Podcast #104 - James Yenbamroong, Mu Space Corp Jul 7, 2023 1:09:00 We finally have a space startup from Asia (excl. Middle East) on the podcast. Many of you probably did not know that there is a late-stage space startup in Thailand. Mu Space is a Series C stage company manufacturing smallsats and their components. I caught up with their founder & CEO James Yenbamroong in person at the Mu Space headquarter office when I passed through Bangkok this week. Enjoy!

Space Business Podcast #103 Barry Matsumori, Impulse Space: Space Logistics Jun 18, 2023 51:31 Impulse Space is a new startup focused on space logistics, including last-mile payload delivery. The company has a first mission scheduled for fall this year, and also announced a private Mission to Mars jointly with Relativity last year. We touch upon all of this and a lot more in my conversation with their COO Barry Matsumori. Enjoy! JUST OUT: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on the Spa

Space Business Podcast #102 Greg Autry Jun 9, 2023 1:03:55 Greg Autry has worn many leadership hats in the space sector. He is currently the Clinical Professor & Director of the Space Leadership, Policy and Business Program at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. He was a presidential nominee (as CFO) at NASA and continues to hold roles at the agency. He was also chair of the FAA’s COMSTAC Safety Working Group. Our conversation ranges from space e

Space Business Podcast#101 Guillermo Söhnlein, Human2Venus Jun 2, 2023 51:48 Establishing a human presence in the Venusian atmosphere and setting up a venture studio to help get us there? You bet. Founder and Chairman of Humans2Venus, Guillermo Söhnlein, is our guest this week. JUST OUT: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on the Space economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space LinkedIn - https://www.l

Space Business Podcast #100 The first 100 episodes - looking back & ahead May 26, 2023 20:28 Episode 100 will give you a review & preview of the Space Business Podcast, incl. favorite sci-fi of our guests! JUST OUT: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on the Space economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/raphael_space/ Learn more

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