Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan

Once the stuff of science fiction, moon mining is getting government backing. Seattle-based startup Interlune—a previous guest of the podcast— came out of stealth last year. Its mission: to harvest resources from the moon. Now, they're ready to announce their first customers. The Department of Energy has purchased three liters of lunar-extracted helium-3 for a delivery by 2029. A nuclear energy byproduct, Helium-3 is useful for cryogenics, medical equipment and fusion power—but its scarcity comes with a hefty price tag at $20 million per kilogram. Interlune CEO Rob Meyerosn joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the massive opportunity in moon mining.

True Anomaly has just raised $260 million in a Series C funding round. The company, which develops spacecraft that can maneuver each other in orbit, will use the capital to ramp up production and support future missions. Co-founder & CEO Even Rogers joins Morgan Brennan to discuss securing and defending space.

April has been one of the stock market's most tumultuous months ever. While defense and aerospace haven't been entirely immune—as government spending on initiatives like space security rises, those boasting government contracts have proven to be safe havens for investors. Andrew Chanin, the co-founder & CEO of ProcureAM, is one of the minds behind the first-ever ETF fully dedicated to space stocks. He joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the investing landscape, the space economy, and where he sees opportunity in the volatility.

As Amazon looks to launch its first Kuiper satellite mission, space infrastructure's role in enhancing global connectivity is coming to fruition. Skylo, a company that links cell phones to communication satellites, is also making moves—recently collaborated with Charter and Comcast to provide satellite connectivity for emergency messaging services. CEO Parth Trivedi joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the expanding space-based communications market, competition with companies like Starlink and AST SpaceMobile, and the company's outlook.

After an eight day spaceflight turned into a 286-day space odyssey, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on Earth. The “stranded” NASA astronauts flew home in a SpaceX Dragon capsule, instead of the Boeing Starliner which carried them to the I.S.S. last June. Williams and Wilmore join Morgan Brennan to discuss the return to Earth, Boeing Starliner and the future of human spaceflight.

The U.S. Space Force has tapped Rocket Lab and startup Stoke Space to join the National Security Space Launch program as part of NSSL's Phase 3 Lane 1 category. For Rocket Lab, it represents a big opportunity for its new Neutron rocket, a medium-lift vehicle under development. Founder & CEO Peter Beck joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the new award, the timeline for Neutron, and Rocket Lab's company outlook.

Apex Space, a satellite manufacturing startup is celebrating on year of its satellite on orbit this month. Founded in 2022, the startup's goal is to ease the production process of off-the-shelf satellite buses that help customers shift risk and money from making spacecraft to focusing on the missions they want to conduct. A member of Anduril Technologies' “Super Friends” establishing a new American industrial base, the company secured as $46 million U.S. Space Force contract last month. CEO Ian Cinnamon joins Morgan Brennan to celebrate the milestone, challenges within the spacecraft supply chain, and how Trump 2.0 will tackle space policy.

Planet Labs marked its first quarter of profitability by adjusted EBITDA. The satellite imagery and earth observation data company saw its backlog surge in the fiscal fourth quarter by 115%. Co-founder, Chair & CEO Will Marshall joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the quarter and why he sees the company as being at an inflection point.

Investors continue to be excited by defense and national security tech. The latest case: Epirus, a weapons maker that specializes in electronic warfare that disrupts drones. CEO Andy Lowery joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the company's recent $250 million funding round and plans to scale production and the need for rapid innovation in defense.

Firefly Aerospace has made history with its commercial lunar lander Blue Ghost making a soft landing over the weekend—the second private operation to ever do so, and the first to do it without complications. The mission involved five payloads collected valuable data. CEO Jason Kim joins Morgan Brennan to discuss Blue Ghost's successful soft landing, the company's upcoming plans to launch its Alpha rocket and potentially launching lunar missions to Mars.

Lane Bess is a long-time tech entrepreneur and investor – and an astronaut, having flown with Blue Origin twice. The former Palo Alto Networks CEO recently flew on the company's 10th human spaceflight for a suborbital flight. He sat down with CNBC's Morgan Brennan to discuss the mission, space tourism, and the future of AI in the space business.

Autonomous shipbuilder Saronic is raising $600 million in a Series C funding round that—within a year— quadruples its valuation to $4 billion. CEO Dino Mavrookas joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the challenges and delays in miliary shipbuilding, the company's $600 million Series C funding round, and making vessels that don't require humans.

Forterra is in the business of autonomous vehicles…but not for the everyday driver. The startup has developed self-driving capabilities for defense and industrial customers, now announcing a production contract with the U.S. Marines to make Oshkosh's Rogue Fire vehicles autonomous. CEO Josh Araujo and Chief Growth Officer Scott Sanders join Morgan Brennan to discuss its partnerships with defense contractors, taking soldiers and Marines out of harms way, and how the company's technology can be used beyond the battlefield.

Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood, has set his sights on a new moonshot: space-based solar power. His new venture, Aetherflux, looks to hone solar power through a constellation of satellites—where each payload will transmit power to ground stations via infrared lasers. He joins Morgan Brennan to discuss his transition from financial technology to space, his vision for the technology, and what it could mean for surging energy demand on earth.

Globalstar, which provides the space-based emergency services for Apple's iPhones, is tapping MDA Space to build satellites for its next-gen communication satellites. MDA CEO Mike Greenley joins Morgan Brennan to talk the new contract, the future of connectivity, and how the Canadian company is navigating the possibility of tariffs.

Intuitive Machines made history in 2024 with the first successful private lunar lander mission. Now, the company aims to do it again with its Athena spacecraft next month, carrying a collection of payloads. Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the mission, the business model and the company's long-term vision.

Public-private partnership Earth Fire Alliance includes Google, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Minderoo Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund—and Muon Space. Fire Alliance Executive Director Brian Collins & Muon Space CEO Jonny Dyer join Morgan Brennan to discuss using space technology and AI to detect small fires before they become large and devastating, helping incident commanders make better-informed decisions about resource allocation. 

Redwire is expanding into the defense market with its acquisition of aerial drone maker Edge Autonomy. Redwire previously won a Pentagon contract  to build what is essentially an orbital drone...and that inspired a strategy to create a one-stop shop for "platform coverage" from the surface of the earth to the surface of the moon and beyond. Redwire CEO Peter Cannito joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the big bet on drones and what he expects from this next “Golden Age” of space. 

Hermeus is developing hypersonic aircraft – five times the speed of sound and across the Atlantic Ocean in roughly 90 minutes. The startup officially inaugurated its new facility in Florida with a series of successful engine tests, wrapping 2024 by ground testing its first aircraft. Now, the startup is nearing the Quarterhorse engine's first flight. Co-founder & CEO AJ Piplica alongside Chief Revenue Officer Zach Shore join Morgan Brennan from the Reagan National Defense Forum to discuss the promise of hypersonic flight and the path to making it mainstream.

A decade in the making, standing at 32-stories tall and packing more than twice the thrust of SpaceX's Falcon 9, Blue Origin's heavy lift rocket will be launching uncrewed from Florida's space coast with a launch window opening at 1 ET. The mission is ambitious: New Glenn will fly another company creation - a prototype of the blue ring space tug - to orbit and designed to be partially reusable. On the eve of the launch, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp talks to Morgan Brennan about what's at stake, how he sees Competition evolving with market dominating rival SpaceX , and how the Bezos' funded company is becoming a self-sustaining business.

2025 is kicking off with a series of lunar missions. As soon as next week, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost will launch for a 60 day voyage that will eventually take the lunar lander to the moon. Firefly Aerospace CEO Jason Kim joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the milestone moon mission, what he expects the $2 billion startup to accomplish this year, and what the incoming Trump administration could mean for space exploration 

Shield AI has had a big year: the $2.8 billion startup's AI technology was used to autonomously fly F16 fighter jets, rescue Israeli hostages, and detect Russian missile systems in Ukraine. Brandon Tseng, the company's co-founder & president says a military transformation is occurring, and that international forces are moving faster than the U.S. in adopting new technologies. Tseng joined Morgan Brennan last month from the Reagan Nation Defense Forum to discuss the future of warfare, a new collaboration with Palantir, and what he'd like to see from the incoming Trump administration.

Earlier this week, SpaceX launched its third rocket in a 24-hour span to launch for SES, a communications satellite operator. The mission, launching the Luxembourg-based company's O3B mPOWER satellites, will carry upgrades to address power issues experienced on earlier additions to the constellation. As the rocket awaited liftoff, SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh joined Morgan Brennan to discuss the future of broadband, competing with SpaceX's Starlink, and the latest on the company's $3 billion acquisition of U.S. based Intelsat.

Defense tech has gone mainstream with a growing number of entrepreneurs and investors working in the incoming Trump administration. Katherine Boyle, a general partner at a16z, was dubbed an early investor to this trend, co-founding the VC firm's American Dynamism practice in January 2020. Boyle joins Morgan Brennan from the Reagan Defense Forum to discuss Trump 2.0, the technologies she's most excited about right now, and the outlook for her investment thesis.

United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, blasted into 2025 with the launch of its long-awaited Vulcan Centaur rocket earlier this year. With a long history of launching national security missions, the company is now moving into commercial markets with the help of Vulcan and contracts with the likes of Amazon. ULA CEO Tory Bruno joins Morgan Brennan from the Reagan National Defense Forum to discuss the evolving launch market, what Trump 2.0 will mean for commercial space, and what the future of Boeing's commercial space will mean for the company.

Anduril Industries is a fast-growing defense tech startup best know for attack drones, robot submarines and unmanned fighter jets. The company is now forging forward into the next domain: space. Earlier in November, Anduril won a $100 million contract with the U.S Space Force to upgrade its military satellite sensor network. The company is also developing its own spacecraft, partnering with other venture-backed space startups like Apex and Impulse Space. On this episode, Senior Vice President of Engineering Gokul Subramanian joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the next frontier.

Blue Origin just launched its ninth crewed mission—but is suborbital flight the only route to space? Space Perspective is developing its own near-space experience: offering high-altitude balloon rides for a fraction of the cost. The startup, which boasts 1,800 reservations, aims to send passengers just twenty miles above the earth for its voyages, still giving passengers an expansive view of the planet. CEO Michael Savage joins Morgan Brennan to discuss making space more accessible and affordable, plus how the company is viewing brand and marketing opportunities like Space Oreos

President-Elect Trump is set to be back in the White House, with space policy set to change accordingly. Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the future of the Artemis lunar program, space as the forefront of national security and geopolitics—plus, whether Bridenstine would consider rejoining the space agency.

When it comes to capital in space and defense technology, the government and VC investors have remained king. But Leonid Capital Partners is doing something different: pivoting the industry to private credit. With the firm, companies—including clients like ABL Space Systems, Canopy Aerospace, Phase Four and more— can borrow against their government contracts. Co-Founder & President James Parker joins Morgan Brennan to discuss what's enticing him now and the investing landscape writ large.

Maxar Space Systems is pioneering a new way to observe Earth from space. One of the original satellite manufacturing companies, CEO Chris Johnson joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the evolution of the company, advancements in satellite technology, and Maxar's role in NASA's Artemis program.

In the wake of Hurricane Milton – space companies like ICEYE are enabling real-time data and analysis of conditions on the ground. ICEYE U.S. CEO Eric Jensen joins Morgan Brennan to lay out how the company is collecting data of earth to help governments and companies respond faster and how the startup is channeling Apple to build its satellites. 

The Department of Defense is prepared to award nearly $1 billion in loans to jumpstart technology critical to national security. The office, established in 2022, recently issued a Notice of Funding Availability laying out the criteria and application process for the Pentagon loans. The loans can be awarded to 31 categories ranging from quantum science to space propulsion. OSC Director Jason Rathje joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the new program and the intersection between technology and national security.

The U.S. Commerce Department has unveiled a proposed a ban on Chinese software and hardware in connected vehicles on American roads—but it could expand to drones and other technology. Skydio co-founder & CEO Adam Bry joins Morgan Brennan on the heels of his company's customer day. The largest maker of drones in the U.S., Bry and Brennan discuss the future of the technology, implications for public safety, & potential for package delivery by drones.

World leaders and policymakers are meeting for both the UN General Assembly and Climate Week this week: a primetime for Planet Labs's latest product launch and satellite success. The company, which operates the largest earth observation constellation in low-Earth orbit, has unveiled the world's first-ever forest carbon monitoring system at 3 meter resolution. Additionally, the publicly traded company revealed images from it new hyperspectral satellite, Tanager-1. CEO Will Marshall joins Morgan Brennan to discuss AI in the space race, and why he believes his company  is positioning itself for a “multi-trillion dollar transition to a sustainable economy.”

Polaris Dawn has done the impossible: making history with private citizens conducting a spacewalk. The extravehicular activity was done to test SpaceX's new suits. Fresh off of splashdown, mission commander & Shift4 CEO Jared Isaacman joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the view from his walk, how this space mission compared to Inspiration4— his previous venture—and the path ahead for the Polaris Program.

AST SpaceMobile has successfully launched its first five Bluebird commercial satellites, in a major step towards building space-based service for smartphones. Founder & CEO Abel Avellan joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the company's direct-to-cell service, how the business model compares to competitors like SpaceX's Starlink, and whether the company has the cash it needs to build out a constellation.

AST SpaceMobile has successfully launched its first five Bluebird commercial satellites, in a major step towards building space-based service for smartphones. AT&T has been a strategic partner of the company since 2018, as well as a key investor and beneficiary of the mass market. Fresh off the launch, AT&T Head of Networks Chris Sambar, joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the commercial partnership, how its venture differs from Verizon's investment in the company, and the future of satellites for smartphones.

Within the next decade, thousands of satellites are set to head to space, but satellites may need to duck for cover. As more payloads enter low Earth orbit, space junk— debris from previous rocket launches, inactive satellites, and more—is also on the rise. LeoLabs is a startup that analyzes it all, and says number of active payloads it tracks has increased tenfold. With an additional 13,000 pieces of debris in orbit, what's the future of space traffic management? CEO Tony Frazier joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the trajectory of space traffic, using AI to analyze satellites, and his six months on the job.

From astronauts stuck at the I.S.S. to Blue Origin's latest suborbital spaceflight, it's been a big week for human spaceflight. Commercial players have dominated the skies since the development of the Commercial Crew Program—helping to kick off a new era of public-private partnerships in space. Lori Garver, NASA's former Deputy Administrator, was a key architect in the program. She joins Morgan Brennan to parse through how Boeing can recover from its latest Starliner struggles, Polaris Dawn's prospects of launch, and space policy come the November 2024 election.

A boom in private human spaceflight is on the horizon as more heavy-lift rockets come online. But at the ISS is set to retire in 2030, what is the future of space stations? Private players are stepping in to meet demand, with Gravitics, a Washington-based in-space infrastructure startup, a likely winner in the space. Founder & CEO Colin Doughan joins Morgan Brennan to discuss commercializing low-earth orbit, supplying hardware to commercial space stations, and its recent $125 million deal with Axiom Space.