Space Business Podcast

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. Enjoy!  

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 episode - enjoy!  

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.

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.  

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.techconnect.org/  

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!

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!  

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#:~:text=Book%20overview&text=An%20exploration%20of%20the%20dynamic,a%20commercial%20revolution%20right%20now.  

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!  

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!  

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!

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.

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.  

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. 

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 of this week's podcast. Enjoy! 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 economy, "To Infinity" is available in e-book, paperback and audiobook formats - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 Episode intro 01:46 Elevator Pitch 02:31 What Telemetry is - for Non-Technical Audiences 03:37 Telemetry Data in Space Missions 06:54 Historical Context and Modern Challenges 13:11 SIFT's Role in Anomaly Detection 18:02 Product Details and Customer Use Cases 20:43 Exploring Diverse Aerospace Ventures 21:32 Market Approach 22:12 Company Journey and Product Evolution 23:24 Origin Story 24:22 Addressing Complex Engineering Challenges 27:16 Customer Feedback and Product Development 29:08 Future Milestones and Vision 32:45 SpaceX Alumni Ecosystem 33:42 El Segundo: A Hub for Space Startups 36:51 What else is interesting in Space & Sci-Fi Favorites  

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/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 economy, "To Infinity" is available in e-book, paperback and audiobook formats - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 Episode intro 01:20 Elevator Pitch 01:47 Problem with Current Way of Doing Things 03:35 Origin Story of Integrate 04:18 Challenges in Space Hardware Collaboration 06:31 Expanding Beyond Space: Other Industries 11:34 The Future of Integrate 17:05 Product Details and Customer Experience 24:20 Roadmap and Vision 30:18 Customer Support & Success 39:34 Final Thoughts & Sci-Fi  

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 about what it takes to build a spaceport, operate it, and much more. Enjoy! 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 economy, "To Infinity" is available in e-book, paperback and audiobook formats - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 Episode intro 02:00 Elevator pitch 03:31 Choosing Nova Scotia for a Spaceport 04:52 Challenges and Opportunities in Spaceport Development 10:02 Environmental and Safety Considerations 14:39 Infrastructure and Logistics 17:35 Business Model 27:49 Insurance and Liability in Space Launches 29:12 Canadian Space Law and Regulations 32:29 Sea Launch 34:41 Business Development and Customer Acquisition 40:11 Financing the Spaceport 40:51 Future of Global Spaceports 45:36 Community Support and Social License 47:26 Exciting Developments in Space Exploration 49:12 Sci-Fi

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 question of whether humanity should settle space. It touches on everything ranging from legal aspects all the way to having babies in Space. For me as a die-hard proponent of humanity settling in space, this was a fun and insightful conversation to have. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, too! https://www.acityonmars.com/   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 economy, "To Infinity" is available in e-book, paperback and audiobook formats - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ 00:00 Episode Introduction 01:41 Podcast Introduction 02:16 Summary and Insights on 'A City on Mars' book 03:15 Challenges of Space Settlement 03:35 Becoming a Space Settlement Enthusiast 05:08 Concerns About Human Reproduction in Space 09:09 Environmental Control and Life Support Systems 13:18 International Law and Space Resources 22:28 The Race with China and Future Prospects 28:30 Military Funding for Space Infrastructure 29:37 Geopolitics and Strategy in Space 30:49 Technological Gaps and Innovations 32:57 Reproduction in Space: Fun and Challenges 41:41 Mental Health and Well-being in Space 45:44 Arts, Religion, and Community in Space 48:15 Future Updates and Books 54:23 Sci-fi

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://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 economy, "To Infinity" is available in e-book, paperback and audiobook formats - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 Countdown 00:10 Episode intro 00:33 Podcast intro 01:45 Elevator Pitch 02:32 Challenges in Space Missions 03:40 Data Cosmos: Simplifying Space Data 03:53 Evolution of the Space Industry 12:33 Open Constellation Concept 13:39 Customer Collaboration and Data Utilization 20:41 Marketplace of Applications 24:14 Economic Advantages of Asset Optimization 29:40 Customer Use Cases and Exciting Projects 30:15 Innovations in Satellite Payloads 32:18 Challenges and Opportunities in Space Data 35:11 Future Steps for Open Cosmos 36:45 Real-Time Data Delivery and Industry Trends 44:23 The Impact of Starship on the Space Sector 47:27 Trustworthy Data 49:20 Favorite Sci-Fi

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! 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 economy, "To Infinity" is available in e-book, paperback and audiobook formats - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 Countdown 00:10 Episode intro 00:42 Podcast intro 01:27 Introducing Will Crow and HEO's Mission 02:48 HEO's Origin Story and Initial Focus on Asteroids 04:20 Commercial and National Security Use Cases 07:11 Recent Events and National Security Concerns 10:42 Challenges and Countermeasures in Space Monitoring 15:54 Customer Journey and Tasking Process 17:51 Leveraging Existing Satellites and Partnerships 23:58 Future Prospects and Monetizing Observation Time 25:02 Understanding Spatial Resolution in Space Observation 25:44 The Importance of High-Resolution Imaging 27:42 Video vs. Still Images in Space Observation 28:39 Data Handling and Analysis in Space Observation 31:36 Regulatory Challenges and Opportunities 37:20 Future Prospects and Technological Innovations 42:22 Long-Term Vision and Sci-Fi 46:16 Closing Remarks and Wrap-Up  

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 a little about the launch market in general. Enjoy! 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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:30 Relativity Space summary 5:13 Mo's career incl. switching to the space sector 7:00 Acting as a "translator" 13:00 Discussing difficulties with clients 17:38 Hiring 22:00 Steps on the way to Mars 28:32 Production and flight cadence 31:18 Pricing 34:00 Relativity in the broader launch market 38:31 Rideshare 40:50 Ancillary products 43:30 Vision 45:48 Interesting things in commercial space 49:00 Sci-Fi

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 space venture fund where I am partner, is also part of KickSky. If you have any interest in Indian space, don't miss this episode!  If you are: - an Indian startup interested in applying to KickSky - interested in becoming a mentor at KickSky - interested in joining KickSky's investor network please go to https://www.kicksky.space 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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:19 Ankit's background and the Indian space ecosystem 13:34 Space Sector in India - Government & commercial 17:34 Kicksky's structure and program 26:22 Mentoring 31:16 Demo-day and practical examples 37:12 Experience of being an incubator 40:01 Future plans 43:08 Apply to Kicksky 43:37 Sci-fi

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 schedule a podcast episode to talk about all this. Enjoy! https://www.johannestorpe.com/ Golden space suit event: https://www.designindaba.com/videos/conference-talks/danish-designer-johannes-torpe-power-design-create-universes 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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:36 Johannes's background 6:05 Golden space suit entry 11:15 Connecting people to the Space Renaissance 18:42 Domesticating Space 21:50 The Space Mountain Case and Space "Retroism" 27:22 Potential ways of inspiring people 31:06 Hotels & Resorts 34:15 "Edutainment" 37:07 NASA Nightclub 42:36 Space & the arts 47:57 Current space-related projects 53:49 Sci-fi

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_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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:20 Elevator Pitch 6:05 European access to space 9:17 Business Model 13:17 Specs 18:10 Rocket engines 19:20 Production capacity 20:54 Scaling up 23:41 Europe vs. other markets 25:50 Customers 28:50 Gaining trust with customers 33:27 User guide 35:40 Launch market 39:10 Sovereign launch 42:08 Spaceports 44:18 Orbits 47:00 Future milestones 49:45 Team 53:38 Other interesting space activities 55:30 Sci-Fi

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.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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:08 Alex's activities in the space sector 3:10 Space Ambition origins 5:48 Transitioning into the space sector 7:23 What is Space Ambition? 9:04 Topics 11:42 "Spotlights" 14:30 Insights from Spotlights 17:30 Women in Space 20:20 Dream guest 21:61 Insights of space tech investors 22:58 Other space media 25:13 Getting into space investing 27:28 Other deep tech areas vs. space 29:33 Interesting areas in space 31:33 Investor perspectives 35:53 The Singapore Space Ecosystem 38:58 Sci-fi

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 Max Space, and how their inflatables can be used for example as habitats, research labs, manufacturing sites and even as sports and entertainment venues in space. For full disclosure: Max Space is a portfolio company of E2MC, the space venture capital fund founded by our host Raphael Roettgen. https://getmaxspace.com/ 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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:26 Max Space 3:32 Rationale for starting Max Space 7:22 Inflatables 9:26 Space in space 13:13 In-space experiments 15:51 Business model 18:13 Customization for use cases 21:13 User guide 22:27 Life support and space hazards 26:48 End of life planning 30:18 Inflatables beyond Earth orbit 35:50 Volume 36:44 Fitting windows & other structures 40:00 Inflating 41:00 First module in space 43:12 Major to-dos and milestones 46:25 Regulatory process 47:52 Long-term vision 51:20 Other exciting things in the space industry 55:07 Sci-fi

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 Talent - article by Brian Mejeur: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/legacy-vs-startup-talent-brian-mejeur-apu2c/?trackingId=cxpwmH5ndwd5B9AjK0yI4w%3D%3D 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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps 0:00 Episode intro 2:07 Intro to AdAstra 2:37 Life before AdAstra 6:29 Market demand & scope of roles 8:29 Advice for startups 10:51 Startup culture vs legacy culture 14:42 Advice for job candidates 17:32 Pre-filtering 21:22 Interview process 25:45 Getting candidates from non-space companies 29:40 Bottlenecks 35:12 Restrictions on international candidates 40:51 Gender imbalance in the space sector 45:40 Subsector trends 48:10 Roles & skills trends 50:25 Regional Trends 52:30 Compensation packages 57:40 Protecting clients 59:35 Space sector general interests 1:02:24 Sci-fi

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 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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:35 Elevator pitch 3:40 EO data use now 8:08 SkyFi's product 11:42 A vision for space imagery 14:30 Business development 17:50 Business model & use cases 20:20 Customer service 21:30 Market education 23:20 Government impact 25:30 Trends, future tech & market gaps 28:10 Regulatory restrictions  31:50 Consolidation potential impact 37:20 User friendliness 39:40 Interesting customer behavior & use cases 43:40 Next milestones for SkyFi 46:10 Ten-year vision 49:15 SkyFi is hiring 50:15 What else is interesting in the space sector? 51:25 Sci-Fi

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 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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:31 Elevator Pitch 3:50 Gitai's origin story 6:18 Pitching the company 7 years ago 9:08 Shifting perceptions 11:13 Gitai's products 13:50 Engineering approach 19:12 Use cases 24:50 Customers 26:40 First lunar use case 28:00 First lunar demonstration 30:07 Next major milestones 32:35 Business model 33:45 Vision for the Company 35:00 Cost target 36:45 Future missions 38:45 Mass production & supply chain 41:25 Humanoid robots 45:25 Terrestrial business options 48:40 Gitai is hiring! 50:00 What else is interesting in the space sector 51:38 Sci Fi

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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:40 Preview episode initial remarks 2:27 Launch 10:07 Spacecraft 10:43 Human spaceflight 14:12 Lunar 15:55 Science 17:17 Government 18:05 Satellite Communications 18:48 Earth Observation 19:20 OSAM 20:44 Finance and Funding 24:00 Events and Education 24:58 Poll on most exciting space events in 2024

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 advanced materials in microgravity. Enjoy! The Institute for In-Space Manufacturing of Advanced Materials https://rb.gy/b4661j White paper: Semiconductor Manufacturing in Low-Earth Orbit for Terrestrial Use https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pdur3PPXvVMRaf3ZFNRe_W8lY_fqjLri/view?usp=sharing 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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:20 Intro to XLab & Jessica 4:37 Jessica's origin story & motivation 8:54 Semiconductor manufacturing primer 14:15 In-space manufacturing for Earth 15:58 Which part of semi manufacturing makes sense to do in space 17:30 Advantages of microgravity  18:50 Could it be done on Earth? 20:25 Advantages of microgravity (cont'd) 26:20 Semiconductor materials besides silicon 28:50 Why larger crystals are better 35:45 Why now? 38:45 Safety & astronaut intervention 40:30 Microgravity platforms besides the ISS 41:40 Importance of subject matter expertise 45:00 Origin of the idea for the new institute 54:55 Current ISS equipment 55:55 The Institute for In-Space Manufacturing of Advanced Materials 1:02:00 How to get involved 1:04:25 Sci-fi

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 - 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 economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:19 Elevator Pitch 3:33 Devices outside of coverage that would benefit 6:33 How are people monitoring such devices right now? 8:01 Cost 10:55 Working with off the shelf hardware 12:33 Regulations 15:27 Go to market 18:48 Energy specific use cases 19:56 Go to market: push vs. pull 21:14 Coverage and constellation size 22:13 Lower latency use cases 23:57 Types of satellite 24:55 Direct to device vs direct to mobile 26:12 Receivers 28:20 Wearables 30:04 Cybersecurity 32:26 Most exciting future use cases 36:10 Future of the satellite IoT market 42:03 Origin story 44:08 Vision for the OQ 45:10 The Space Ecosystem in Luxemburg 47:10 Saudi Arabia 49:15 What else is exciting in the space sector? 51:12 Sci-Fi

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 microgravity all the way to the question of whether we can use gene editing to adapt ourselves to the space environment. 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/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:35 TRISH 3:50 Staying healthy in space 7:36 Health concerns in microgravity 12:07 Eye and brain issues 13:40 Artificial gravity 15:40 Licensing 18:46 Moon & Mars 22:50 Medical equipment and treatment in space 27:00 Surgery 29:22 Positive effects in space 33:03 Longevity in space 34:50 Gene editing 39:28 Reproduction in space 43:33 Research projects if more funding was available 45:23 Food production 47:31 Astronaut health monitoring 50:00 Beyond R&D 53:55 Organ-on-chip models 56:33 How one can get involved in TRISH 1:00:17 Sci-fi

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 Space economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:01 Elevator pitch 2:49 Origin story 4:22 History of light sails 8:59 Planetary Society mission 11:12 Folding the sail 14:20 Hazards in space 16:04 Further specs of Gama's sail 17:56 Velocity and Acceleration Specs 22:23 Oumuamua 24:01 Use cases 30:16 Dragsail application 34:41 GTM & missions 37:51 Deep space demonstration 39:25 Timeline & long term vision for the company 42:24 Business Model 45:35 What else is interesting in space? 47:30 Sci-Fi

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/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:05 Elevator Pitch 3:09 Leafspace's origin story 6:04 Finding a business opportunity in the space sector 8:22 Biggest challenges starting straight out of university 11:30 First commercial push 12:51 Initial approach 16:10 Not being held back by the legacy way of doing things 17:30 Antenna building vs. buying 19:00 Product & customer experience 22:01 Kinds of applications that Leaf Space can support 25:05 AWS 30:13 Ten-year vision for Leaf Space 32:45 Vision for the broader ground segment sector 37:08 Frequency bands 40:03 What else in space is interesting? 41:30 Sci-Fi

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 disclosure, E2MC, the space VC fund where Raphael is a partner, is an investor in that round). Please enjoy hearing about Manastu and space in India! 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/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:14 Elevator pitch 3:55 Green satellite propultion 9:20 Why was hydrazine originally chosen? 11:15  The current system 15:09 Hydrogen peroxide 18:31 Chemical propulsion vs electrical propulsion  23:01 Manastu's product & business model 25:45 In-orbit demonstration 26:27 Main customer group 27:26 Export control 28:23 Scaling up & adding on services 30:52 Vision for the company 31:45 Origin story 35:38 Indian Space Ecosystem 44:16 What's next? 46:15 Sci-fi  

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 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/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:00 Loren's background 2:53 Being a NASA kid 6:24 Support from the community 7:50 Loren's new book 9:02 Why this topic? 10:45 Challenges of women in the space sector 16:00 The Mercury 13 18:00 Surprising findings in research for the book 19:17 Competitiveness among The Six 22:20 A favorite one? 23:50 Legacy of The Six 25:21 Normalizing women in space 29:17 Female Astronauts 32:44 International Female Astronauts 34:10 Future books 36:17 How can we improve the gender imbalance in the space sector? 40:23 Final message for women looking to join the space sector

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 Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:21 Elevator Pitch 3:11 "Last Mile" on the Moon 5:27 Flex rover in the context of other rovers 9:10 Payloads 11:30 Scaling challenges 13:46 Autonomy 15:33 "Off-road" capability 19:23 Vehicle specs 22:23 Vehicle lifetime and surviving on the Moon 29:34 Spare parts 33:06 Infrastructure 34:22 Main use cases 38:27 Vision for mobility landscape on the Moon 41:37 The motivation behind Astrolab 46:46 What else is interesting in the space sector 48:15 What could be the "first killer app" for the Moon? 50:07 Sci-Fi

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 book on the Space economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 2:09 Elevator pitch 3:00 Defining SSA, SDA, STM, etc. 5:43 How much we actually know 10:06 Data availability and gaps 12:28 Customers and market adoption 15:36 How concerned should satellite operators be? 17:22 Why aren't we seeing collisions all the time? 21:56 Active debris removal and the "tragedy of commons" in space 24:53 Business model 27:00 Right of way 32:49 Regulation 34:45 Incentives and insurance 39:55 Customers 40:17 Vision for Neuraspace 41:08 Use of funds 42:42 The Portuguese space ecosystem 44:46 How Chiara got involved with Neuraspace 47:47 What else is interesting in space? 49:18 Sci Fi

Alcohol in Space

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 the Space economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:12 Elevator Pitch 3:33 Origin story 5:51 From inspiration to product 7:24 The product 8:50 First Space missions 10:18 Customer motivation 14:00 Go to market 15:42 Customer demographics 17:25 What the customer gets 18:42 Future missions 21:49 What if Aliens find it? 23:23 Bureaucracy and restrictions 24:46 How to protect DNA in space 26:08 Vision 29:31 Potential future products 31:59 Funding 33:21 B2B element 35:50 What else is interesting in space? 37:58 Sci-Fi

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 Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO Upcoming newsletter - sign up: https://spacebusiness.substack.com/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:08 Elevator pitch 2:48 K2's satellite platforms 5:05 Testing large satellites 6:14 Tech challenges  8:35 Operational orbit 10:10 Space debris 12:00 Origin story of K2 14:56 Use cases 18:19 Fitting in with emerging trends 22:41 Proving your use cases and building the market 24:49 Vertical integration 27:03 Propulsion 29:26 Business model 30:51 Timeline 32:32 Hosting 34:00 Vision 37:05 Future of the satellite industry 39:25 Advice for joining the space sector 41:25 What else is interesting in the space sector? 43:04 Sci-Fi  

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 the topic of space sexology. Enjoy! Relevant article:  "Sexual Health in Space: a 5-year Scoping Review" -https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11930-023-00368-9 "Technology-Based Sexualities"-   JUST OUT: 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/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:23 Simon's background 3:36 Erotic interactions in space 6:28 Articles about space sexology 7:46 Sex in space? 11:26 Artificial suppression in astronauts 13:14 Specific lines of research 19:25 Research methodology 25:06 Similar situations on Earth 31:58 Dream research project 36:03 Intimacy briefing for space explorers 39:11 The "mechanics" 44:03 Reproduction in space 51:22 Work to be done 52:00 Sci-Fi

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! JUST OUT: 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/ 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: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast   Timestamps:  0:00 Intro 2:44 Elevator pitch 3:09 Origin story 5:54 Thai space ecosystem 8:15 Supply chain and doing things from scratch 9:39 Vertical integration 11:42 Mu Space's satellite platforms 13:04 Use cases 14:40 Smallsats vs. cubesats 17:00 Power 18:45 More use cases 21:18 On-board computing 24:06 First missions 27:10 Launch companies in Asia 31:00 Regulatory restrictions 33:34 Funding 34:55 Satellite production and volume manufacturing 39:08 Time from order to shipping 42:00 Customers 44:23 The Thai Food Space Mission  48:46 Mu Space's battery tech 50:16 Trends in satellite manufacturing and lay of the land 56:27 On-board propulsion systems 58:58 Space-as-a-service 01:01:05 Vision for Mu Space 01:04:33 If James wasn't doing Mu Space, what would he do in space? 01:06:25 Sci-Fi

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 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 about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast 0:00 Intro 2:05 Elevator Pitch 2:34 Mission architecture 3:45 The first mission 5:01 Vehicle architecture/strategy 8:05 Vision for In-space services 13:37 Economic viability of small&medium launchers 16:18 View of the land on OTV companies 17:52 Primary users and use cases 20:07 Revenue model 20:53 The Mars mission 23:02 Financing and pricing 26:14 Tech needed to go to Mars 28:51 Propulsion system and vehicle details 33:40 Timeframe and production capacity 36:03 Starship 38:27 Vast space station deal 40:54 Vision for the space sector 42:30 Other areas that Barry is excited about 43:52 Impulse Space in 10 years 44:47 SpaceX Heritage 47:19 Medium-term futuristic possibilities 48:27 Sci-Fi

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 entrepreneurship over space safety to geopolitics in space. I think you'll really enjoy this one. I did! 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 about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:22 Greg's bio 6:09 Is the Space Sector an appropriate place for entrepreneurs 8:34 Space Master program at Thunderbird 11:02 What does a NASA CFO do? 13:15 More on Thunderbird 22:09 NASA InSPA 26:50 In-space manufacturing 31:35 FAA COMSTAC 35:10 Commercial space flight participant regulation 39:18 Space traffic management 44:38 "Death by China" 48:29 Astropolitics 50:27 Quickfire questions on the space sector 59:23 A message for young people 1:01:49 Sci-Fi

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.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen/ Instagram -  www.instagram.com/raphael_space/ Learn more about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps 0:00 Intro 3:38 Elevator Pitch 4:43 Why Venus? 11:35 Staying in the Venusian atmosphere 15:45 "Grand Vision" argument 19:04 Technology stack 27:47 Establishing a sustainable human presence 32:43 Business opportunities and business model 37:33 What is a venture studio? 42:55 Does is work for the space sector? 46:58 Overall status of the project 49:00 Sci-Fi

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 about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast   0:00 Intro 3:55 Stats 11:17 Quotes 14:03 Sci-Fi 16:18 The future of this podcast 18:35 Calls to action

Nuclear fusion propulsion. Do I have your attention? Probably ... after all, we need to get to places like Mars, and beyond, faster than on the current chemical rockets. There are now actually some startups working on nuclear fusion propulsion and one of them, Princeton Satellite Systems, are our guests this week. Enjoy! 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 about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven:  https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:07 Elevator pitch 3:34 Future of space propulsion 5:13 Current state of fusion 10:16 Magnetic fusion 13:24 The FRC 16:47 Power budget 18:46 Terrestrial power generation use case 22:23 The Moon 25:03 What is left to do on the tech side 29:47 Timeline 31:01 Safety 33:15 In-space propulsion 36:44 NASA's past nuclear projects 37:54 Timing for prototype in space 42:43 Biggest obstacles 45:56 Beyond the current fusion engine proposal

My guest this week is Jesse Klempner, a partner in McKinsey's Washington DC office. McKinsey is focusing more on space recently and has published a number of interesting articles (see below for some examples). We discuss why McKinsey is paying more attention to space now and how corporates can and do work with space, among other topics. Enjoy! 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 about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven:  https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Example McKinsey space articles: Space: The missing element of your strategy Space launch - are headed for a shortfall? The potential of microgravity: How companies across sectors can venture into space Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:45 Why McKinsey is focusing more on space now 5:15 Getting space & non-space companies to cooperate 9:35 Taking the friction out of space 14:07 Companies integrating space as an enabling technology 18:29 Space mining 22:17 Space-based solar power 23:33 Lunar business models 25:14 Talking about space with the biggest companies in the world 29:15 Successful case studies of corporates implementing space 31:05 Successfully implementing new tech in an organization 31:47 How corporates can inform themselves 34:01 Most exciting space use case 36:15 Favorite space business model if you were an entrepreneur 37:31 Sci Fi

Space Biotech - this is the first episode in a new sub-series of episodes just on this topic. Ken Savin is the Chief Scientific Officer of Redwire, the American space holding company. Before that, he worked at the U.S. National Lab and for a long time in the pharma industry. 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 about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven:  https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:27 Ken's Background 3:52 Use cases 6:59 Human tissue in space 10:00 Pre-clinical pharma testing and regenerative medicine 11:38 Crystal production in space 16:30 Mass production in space  20:07 Awareness of space in the biotech industry 23:50 Bridging two different sectors 34:37 Starship 36:55 Producing at scale in microgravity 42:11 Use cases predictions 48:47 Disease models 54:34 Life sciences in Deep Space 58:05 Sci-Fi