Balerion Principal Aidan Daoussis sits down with Wesley Grove, CEO of Benchmark Space Systems, to discuss in-space propulsion and mobility. Benchmark develops chemical, electric, and hybrid propulsion solutions for spacecraft, with applications spanning precision maneuvering, reentry, cislunar missions, and national security. They discuss the growing demand for high-thrust mobility, flight heritage, refueling, and the autonomous spacecraft infrastructure needed as orbital activity scales.
00:00 – Introduction and Benchmark Space Systems overview02:03 – Chemical, electric, and hybrid propulsion systems
04:23 – Why satellites need propulsion and orbital mobility
07:10 – How chemical propulsion works in space
09:13 – Growing propulsion demand, congestion, and deorbiting
11:15 – Fuel limitations, maneuverability, and in-space refueling
15:27 – National security demand for high-thrust mobility
16:41 – Space situational awareness and space domain awareness
20:03 – Cislunar operations, lunar resources, and water-derived propellants
23:00 – The investment case for spacecraft propulsion and moving up the value chain
25:36 – Emerging propulsion technologies and future architectures
27:35 – Flight heritage, reliability, and customer trust30:48 – Launch constraints and access to orbit
34:26 – In-space refueling and Benchmark's propulsion roadmap
36:21 – U.S. and Chinese space mobility capabilities
38:04 – Orbital “dogfighting” and maintaining custody of spacecraft
40:01 – Managing a future with tens of thousands of spacecraft
42:04 – Onboard computing, autonomy, and AI
43:43 – Space infrastructure, manufacturing, transport, and future markets
45:05 – Closing thoughts
