Shows
Space Business Podcast#164 | Earth Return | Ryohei Kobayashi, Elevation SpaceElevation 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
25:05 Post-ISS Future
28:45 Milestones
32:42 Long-Term Vision
37:24 Closing: Japan Space Ecosystem + Sci‑Fi Favorites
🔗 Elevation Space
🏠Website : https://elevation-space.com/en
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.lin...
2026-02-1442 min
Space Business Podcast#163 | Spaceports | Ketil Olsen, Andøya SpaceThe 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 guest to talk about all this is Andøya Space’s CEO, former Vice Admiral Ketil Olsen. Enjoy!
🕰️ Timestamps:
0:00 Podcast Intro
00:41 Intro to Andøya Space
03:12 H...
2026-02-0542 min
Space Business Podcast#162 | A New LEO Broadband Constellation | Rafel Jordá Siquier, Open CosmosOpen 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 Today's News: Spectrum Rights for Satellite Communications
04:24 The Journey of Open Cosmos
06:02 Innovative Business Models
13:46 Manufacturing Capabilities
19:52 Future Plans and Partnerships
24:02 What It Takes To Build A LEO SatComm Constellation
31:19 Synergy Between Earth Observation and Communications
36:02 Spectrum & Regulatory
43:41 Vision for the Fu...
2026-01-1545 min
Space Business Podcast#161 | The Dell of Satellites | Ian Cinnamon, Apex SpaceApex 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 Chain
19:23 Global Competition
22:03 Apex Space's Product Line
23:06 Introduction to Robust Satellite Platforms
27:53 Business Model
30:38 Markets
34:15 More on Manufacturing
36:25 Current Status & Future Plans
40:39 Favorite Sci-Fi
🔗 Apex Space
🏠Website : https://www.apexspace.com/
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻Li...
2026-01-1242 min
Space Business Podcast#160 | 2026 in Space Preview | Raphael Roettgen, E2MCThis 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 Science Missions
15:39 Government Space
17:35 Finance, Funding & Investments
19:13 Selected Space Events
20:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/
🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇ Twitter/X - https://x.com/Raphael...
2026-01-0621 min
Space Business Podcast#159 | SpaceX IPO | Aaron Burnett, Mach33There 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
17:51 Starlink
36:30 Margins, Cashflows and Valuation
43:54 Potential Future Business Lines
51:42 Mars and Long-Term Value
56:25 Potential Tail Risks
1:01:30 When to Sell?
🔗 SpaceX model by Ark Invest & Mach33: https://github.com/ARKInvest/ARK-Invest-Mach-33-SpaceX-Valuation-Model
🔗 Mach33 website: https://www.33fg.com/
🔗 Follow us:
2025-12-221h 06
Space Business Podcast#158 | Optical Comms As-a-Service | Jordan Vannitsen, Odysseus SpaceSpace 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:
0:00 Podcast Intro
01:14 Elevator Pitch
02:44 Optical Communications
07:02 Business Model
13:09 Interoperability and Integration
15:17 Space-to-Ground Communication Architectures
18:41 Security and Geopolitical Considerations
22:18 Future of Optical and RF Coexistence
24:10 Challenges in Optical and Radio Commun...
2025-12-1648 min
Space Business Podcast#157 | Keeping Satellites Stable | Alessandro Stabile, Magma SpaceMagma 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 Technology
21:46 Superconducting Materials in Space
22:35 Magnetic Levitation and Shielding
23:55 Testing and TRL Levels
24:35 Future Applications and Challenges
27:27 Scaling Production
28:22 Magnets
30:08 Vision for the Future of Space Technology
35:39 Orbital Edge Accelerator experience
37:42 DC Space Ecosystem
39:31 Science Fiction
🔗 Magma Space
🏠Website : https://www.magma-space.com/
2025-12-0841 min
Space Business Podcast#156 | Hyperspectral Earth Intelligence | Awais Ahmed, PixxelPixxel 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 Satellites
31:28 Data Cube and Onboard Processing
34:38 Machine Learning in Orbit
36:06 Current and Future Satellite Deployments
38:40 Beyond Hyperspectral
39:34 Future of Earth Observation
46:43 Entrepreneurial Lessons and Industry Insights
50:32 The Indian Space Ecosystem
52:19 Science Fiction Favori...
2025-11-2854 min
Space Business Podcast#155 | Real-time Geospatial Intelligence | Michael Bartholomeusz, Novi SpaceHow 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 Applications
18:33 Low Latency
19:09 Cost Reduction and Democratization of Geospatial Intelligence
20:00 Innovative Use Cases and Market Disruption
23:33 Space Data Centers
25:47 Novi's Satellite Constellation
31:37 Developing a Space-Based App Ecosystem
36:35 Future Vision & Closing Thoughts
🔗 Novi Space
🏠Website : https://www.novispace.ai
2025-11-1838 min
Space Business Podcast#154 | Optical Communications | JF Morizur, CailabsCailabs 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 & Elevator Pitch
02:32 Advantages of Optical Communication
10:31 Solving Atmospheric Interference
24:13 Market Demand
26:38 Future of Optical Architecture
26:51 Spectrum Scarcity
28:31 Optical vs. Radio: A Hybrid Future
29:50 In-Flight Connectivity
31:12 Optical Comms and Constellations
37:37 Risk and Industrialization of Optical Comms
41:04 Supply Chain and...
2025-11-1051 min
Space Business Podcast#153 | Earth Intelligence| Prateep Basu, SatSureSatSure 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
24:15 Investments and Gaps in Earth Observation Capabilities
25:11 Sensor Diversity and Data Harmonization
26:50 Government Influence and Market Dynamics
28:49 Hyperspectral Data and Market Challenges
30:54 Space Data Explosion and Onboard Computing
32:28 Downlinking Challenges
33:35 Business Model and Market Strategy
37:09 Future of Earth Observation
41:54 SatSure's Vision and Indian Space Ecosystem
44:35 Closing: Other Opportunities in Space & Science Fiction
2025-11-0347 min
Space Business Podcast#152 | Space Robots | Ethan Barajas & Jamie Palmer, Icarus RoboticsSPACE 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
12:22 Future of Space Robotics and Competition
24:16 Training for Space Missions
24:42 Robots in Space Exploration
25:38 Business Opportunities in Space
26:43 Low Earth Orbit Innovations
32:10 Prototyping and Testing Robots
36:05 Future of Robotic Labor in Space
38:41 Founders' Backgrounds and Inspirations
42:56 Favorite Robots in Science Fiction
...
2025-10-2746 min
Space Business Podcast#151 | Advanced Composites | Trevor Smith, Atomic-6Atomic-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 Atomic-6: From Tequila to Technology
08:40 Finding the Right Market: Space and Defense
13:49 Innovative Products: Space Armor and Solar Arrays
21:24 Customer Requirements for Solar Arrays
22:52 Challenges of Scaling Production
25:25 Space Armor
31:42 Future Milestones
35:30 Atlanta Space Ecosystem
36:55 What else is interesting in Commercial Space
39:58 Science Fict...
2025-10-2040 min
Space Business Podcast#150 | Methane Monitoring | Daria Stepanova, AirmoMonitoring 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
01:20 Elevator Pitch and Daria's Background
04:20 Airmo's Technology
07:12 Comparison with Existing Solutions
09:38 Customer Benefits
11:51 From Drones to Satellites
14:44 Potential Additional Applications
20:17 Evolution of Remote Sensing Technologies
20:32 LIDAR as a New Commercial Remote Sensing In...
2025-08-2741 min
Space Business Podcast#149 | Mini-Brains in Space | Prof. Alysson Muotri, UC San DiegoMini-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 organoids to the ISS many times already. Don’t miss this episode on what I consider one of the most exciting intersections of space and biology, and ultimately a potential source of massive positive impact ri...
2025-07-2849 min
Space Business Podcast#148 | Making Space Safe & Sustainable | Tim Solms, Slingshot AerospaceHow 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 Slingshot Aerospace
03:28 Challenges in Space Operations
04:18 Situational Awareness in Space
05:41 Slingshot's Sensor Network and Data Collection
14:21 Data Sharing and International Collaboration
19:50 Autonomous Operations and Future Prospects
24:23 Avoidi...
2025-07-2146 min
Space Business Podcast#147 | Space & Biology | Paul Kamoun, SpacePharmaSpace & 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!
🕰️ Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:17 Background on Paul Kamoun & SpacePharma
01:18 The Exciting World of Space Biology
04:37 Understanding the Role of Gravity in Biology
08:38 Applications and Use Cases in Space Biology
...
2025-07-1543 min
Space Business Podcast#146 | Space Financing | Justin Stevens, Overlap HoldingsIs 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!
🕰️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:08 - Guest Intro
02:31 - Overlap Holdings Name Origin and Activities
03:43 - Capital Solutio...
2025-06-1748 min
Space Business Podcast#145 | Commercial Space - Uncensored | Pierre Lionnet, ASD-EurospaceMy 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!
🕰️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:55 - Guest Introduction
01:34 - Day-to-Day Activities at Eurospace
03:15 - Challenges in the Spac...
2025-05-191h 07
Space Business Podcast#144 | Downmass Logistics | Sebastian Klaus, ATMOS Space CargoMy 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 - Challenges and Technologies in Space Re-entry
06:16 - Innovations in Heat Shield Technology
11:16 - Economic Impact and Reusability
13:12 - Mission Operations and Logistics
20:15 - Regulatory Considerations
22:33...
2025-05-1246 min
Space Business Podcast#143 | Mining the Moon | Glen Martin, XMCMy 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 Prospects and Initial Missions
23:31 - Energy Solutions for Lunar Operations
29:23 - Helium-3 Concentrations and Mining Challenges
32:09 - Lunar Data and Exploration Techniques
35:32...
2025-04-2159 min
Space Business Podcast#142 | Commercial In-Space R&D and Manufacturing | Raphael Roettgen, E2MC VenturesThis 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/
🕰️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
02:23 - Why research and manufacture in Space?
10:28 - How to research and manufacture in Space, in practice?
22...
2025-04-1432 min
Space Business Podcast#141 | In-Orbit Servicing | Adel Haddoud, Infinite OrbitsMy 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
09:15 - Computing Hardware in Space
12:47 - Market Segments and Competition
18:38 - Life Extension in Space
23:49 - Unit Economics
26:13 - Life Extension and Docking
2025-03-1747 min
Space Business Podcast#140 | Mining Asteroids | Daynan Crull, Karman+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 - Recruitment and Team Building
07:44 - Origin Story and Motivation
12:35 - Market Timing and Investor Sentiment
19:49 - Technolog...
2025-03-1049 min
Space Business Podcast#139 | Space to Grow | Matthew Weinzierl & Brendan RosseauSpace 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.
🕰️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
05:16 - Building a Thriving Space Economy
09:15 - Government's Role in...
2025-02-1756 min
Space Business Podcast#138 | European Micro-Launch | Stanislas Maximin, LatitudeMy 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 & Market Strategy
35:09 - Current Status & Future Milestones
40:30 - Challenges of First Orbital Launch
43:37 - French and European Competition
52:32 - Global...
2025-02-101h 03
Space Business Podcast#137 | Self-Assembling Space Habitats | Ariel Ekblaw, Aurelia Institute & FoundryAriel 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:
00:00 - Introduction
01:47 - Ariel’s Background
06:07 - Self-Assembling Space Structures
10:44 - Applications of Space Real Estate
22:45 - Balancing Form and Function
25:13 - Vision for...
2025-01-2045 min
Space Business Podcast#136: Space Piracy | Hugh Taylor & Marc FeldmanSpace 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 Speculative Non-Fiction: Predicting Space Crime
14:53 Historical Parallels: Lessons from Terrestrial Piracy
22:53 Modern Piracy and Organized Crime
24:09 Future Threats and Governance Challenges
35:18 Actors in Space Crime: Governments, Criminals, and Companies
39:39 Preparing for Space Crime: Recommend...
2025-01-1344 min
Space Business Podcast#135 | 2025 in Space Preview | Raphael & FriendsThis 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 - Introduction
01:11 - 2025 Space Preview: Format and Caveats
03:31 - Launch Sector
08:56 - Space Hardware and Satellite Communications
11:35 - Lunar Missions and Human Spaceflight
14:37 - Space Manufacturing
1...
2024-12-2951 min
Space Business Podcast#134: On-Orbit Services | Chris Blackerby, AstroscaleAstroscale 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 Operations and Safety
17:53 - Space Situational Awareness
20:46 - Space Debris
29:22 - Regulations
32:25 - What if we had a catastrophic event in orbi...
2024-12-1655 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #133 - Mike Grace, Longshot Space: Building Space CannonsMy 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 - Countdown & podcast intro
02:04 - Elevator Pitch
03:37 - Mike’s Bold Pitching Style
05:58 - German heritage
08:46 - Gerald Bull and Project Harp
10:35 - More historical references
15:12 - Longshot Space's k...
2024-12-091h 08
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #132 - Karthik Gollapudi, Sift: Complex Hardware TelemetryMy 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.i...
2024-12-0239 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #131: John Conafay, Integrate: Complex Hardware Team CollaborationIntegrate 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: Rap...
2024-11-2644 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #130 - Stephen Matier, Maritime Launch: SpaceportsSpaceports 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...
2024-11-1850 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #129 - Kelly Weinersmith, Co-Author: A City On MarsA 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 di...
2024-11-1155 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #128 - Jordi Barrera Ars, Open Cosmos: Satellites as Shared InfrastructureOpen 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 t...
2024-11-0453 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #127 - Will Crowe, HEO: Non-Earth ImagingHEO, 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!
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2024-10-2847 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #126 - Mo Shahzad, Relativity Space: LaunchRelativity 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!
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2024-06-1649 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast # 125 - Ankit Anand, KickskyThis 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...
2024-05-0746 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #124 - Johannes Torpe: A Designer domesticating SpaceJohannes 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
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2024-04-2758 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #123 - José Manuel Rodríguez, PLD Space: LaunchPLD 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/
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2024-04-1858 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #122 - Alexandra Vidyuk, Space Ambition & Aloniq VCSpace 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/
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SPACE E...
2024-04-1242 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #121 - Aaron Kemmer, Max Space: InflatablesInflatable 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.
Fo...
2024-04-091h 00
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #120 - AdAstra - Space Talent AdvisoryWe 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
...
2024-04-031h 05
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #119 - Luke Fischer, SkyFi: EO dataWe 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!
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2024-02-2753 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #118 - Sho Nakanose, Gitai: Space RoboticsTwo 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/
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2024-02-1953 min
Space Business Podcast2024 in Space - PreviewThis is our annual preview episode, about some of the key things which may happen in the space sector in 2024.
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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 - s...
2023-12-2926 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #117 - Jessica Frick, Stanford XLab, In-Space Manufacturing of Advanced MaterialsIn-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://os...
2023-12-161h 09
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #116 - Omar Qaise, OQ Technology: Satellite IoTSatellite 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!
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Learn more about space & the space economy:
SPACE ECONOMY BOOK: Raphael's fully revised introductory boo...
2023-11-2454 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #115 - Dorit Donoviel, TRISH: Space HealthSpace & 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"...
2023-10-281h 02
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #114 - Andrew Nutter, Gama Space: Light SailsLight 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/
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2023-10-1350 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #113 - Giovanni Pandolfi, Leaf Space: Satellite Ground SegmentThe 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
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2023-10-0944 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #112 - Tushar Jadhav, Manastu Space: In-Space PropulsionIndia'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...
2023-09-2949 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #111 - Loren Grush: The Six - The Untold Story of America’s First Women AstronautsMy 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://spacebus...
2023-09-2242 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #110 - Jaret Matthews, Astrolab: Planetary RoversOur 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/
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2023-09-1553 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #109 - Chiara Manfletti, Neuraspace: Space Traffic ManagementSpace 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
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2023-08-1751 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #108 - Chris Carberry: Alcohol in SpaceAlcohol 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 OUT: Raphael's fully revised introductory book on the Space economy, "To Infinity" - https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
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2023-08-0746 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #107 - Ben Haldeman, LifeShip: DNA to SpaceDo 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
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2023-07-2839 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #106 - Karan Kunjur, K2 Space: Big SatellitesBig 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
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2023-07-2146 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #105 - Sex in Space - Simon DubéSex 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 Sexualit...
2023-07-1756 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #104 - James Yenbamroong, Mu Space CorpWe 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...
2023-07-071h 09
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #103 Barry Matsumori, Impulse Space: Space LogisticsImpulse 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
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2023-06-1851 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #102 Greg AutryGreg 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 Infi...
2023-06-091h 03
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast#101 Guillermo Söhnlein, Human2VenusEstablishing 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
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Learn more about space & the space eco...
2023-06-0251 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #100 The first 100 episodes - looking back & aheadEpisode 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
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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 no...
2023-05-2620 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #99 Princeton Satellite Systems: Nuclear Fusion PropulsionNuclear 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
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2023-04-2850 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #98 Jesse Klempner: McKinsey & CompanyMy 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
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2023-04-2140 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #97 - Space Biotech #1 - Ken Savin, Redwire SpaceSpace 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
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2023-04-131h 02
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #96 Alvaro Alonso Ruiz: LeanspaceSoftware for satellites. We are overdue to talk about it – it’s important and it could be a big business opportunity, for reasons you’ll hear about in this episode. My guest is Alvaro Alonso Ruiz, co-founder of the French startup Leanspace who raised a EUR6MM seed round last year. Enjoy!
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Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy...
2023-04-0645 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast # 95 Uri Oron: Israel Space AgencySpace in Israel! My guest is Uri Oron, the Director General of the Israel Space Agency. We talk about various aspects of the Israeli space ecosystem, including what "infrastructure" is required to build it out successfully. Enjoy!
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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 w...
2023-03-3143 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #94 Matt Gialich, AstroForge: Asteroid MiningAsteroid mining – do I really need to say anything else to get you excited and curious about listening to this episode? My guest is Matt Gialich, the co-founder and CEO of AstroForge, an LA-based startup. Over a decade on from when the last asteroid mining companies started, AstroForge successfully raised a sizable seed round last year. Asteroid mining is back - hear all about it in this episode, enjoy!
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2023-03-2443 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #93 - Nima ShahinianNima Shahinian is a Norwegian industrial designer planning on going to space, and he has already started some of the training, which he will tell us about. He has now even put together a whole project and team in Norway that is working on taking a group of people to space, including several candidates with disabilities. Hear all of about it in this episode – and, since he is a designer, we also talk about space design! Enjoy!
Nima's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astro_nims/
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2023-03-0250 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #92 Wave Motion Launch Corporation
How about accessing space not with rockets, but with basically a big gun that shoots stuff into space? You may be surprised to hear that that is actually not a new idea. Our guests this week, the founders of a startup called Wave Motion are working on an updated version of it. Unsurprisingly, there is strong dual use element, too. We’ll talk about all that and more in the episode. Enjoy!
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2023-02-2544 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #91 - dearMoon crew: Karim IliyaThis is our second conversation with a crew member of the dearMoon project. Just as a reminder, dearMoon will be a circumlunar Starship mission, to which Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku "MZ" Maezawa has invited 8 artists to join him. One of those lucky 8 is the photographer, filmmaker and whale swimming guide Karim Iliya. We talk about his expectations and objectives for the mission. Enjoy!
https://karimiliya.com/
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Learn more about space & the space...
2023-01-2746 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #90 - Victor Hespanha, New Shepard astronautDid you ever wonder what the experience of flying on Blue Origin’s suborbital New Shepard rocket is like? I certainly have. So I invited one of their recent crew members, Victor Hespanha from Brazil, onto the podcast. He takes us through the entire experience -before, during, and after the flight- in great detail. You get a good sense of what the experience is like, so don’t miss it! Please do note that English is not Victor’s first language and he is currently still learning it. He was incredibly kind to speak to us anyway and get out of...
2023-01-1954 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #89 - Morpheus SpaceDaniel Bock and Istvan Lőrincz are the co-founders of Morpheus Space, an innovative electric propulsion company based in Germany and the U.S. I met them for the first time at IAC in 2019 when they won the pitch competition and since then they have done really well, including announcing a US$28 million Series A last September. Please enjoy listening to them talk about their technology and their entrepreneurial journey!
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Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check o...
2023-01-1449 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast - Space in 2023 PreviewThis is our annual preview of some of the things to watch out for in the space sector in 2023!
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Instagram - brand new! @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:
h...
2022-12-3018 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #88 dearMoon crew: Brendan HallI’m guessing many if not most of you are aware of the dearMoon project. Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, or MZ, is inviting 8 artists to join him on a circumlunar flight on Starship. One of the 8 selected crew is American documentary filmmaker Brendan Hall. He is our guest on this episode and we discuss everything from his motivation to apply, over the selection process, to his objectives for the mission, and even some of the things he may take along. dearMoon has everyting to be one of the most fascinating human spaceflight missions ever and this episode is our fi...
2022-12-2251 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #87 Casey HandmerCasey Handmer writes a blog that many of you may already read called, well, Casey Handmer's blog. His posts regularly explore fascinating space topics such as e.g. explaining misconceptions about Starship or how to terraform Mars. We could not possibly do justice to the wealth of topics he’s written about in one podcast episode, but we are talking somewhat of a whirlwind tour through some of his best known posts on space. I think you’ll really enjoy it!
https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/
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2022-12-1559 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #86 Dan Katz, Orbital Sidekick, Hyperspectral Earth ObservationDan Katz is the co-founder and CEO of Orbital Sidekick, a San Francisco-based company deploying a constellation of hyperspectral remote sensing satellites. Among other things, I talk to Dan about the capabilities and use cases of this exciting technology. Enjoy!
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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 t...
2022-12-091h 00
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #85 Egbert Jan van der Veen, OHB
Egbert Jan van der Veen is the head of strategy of well-known, publicly-listed German space company OHB. He’s also the head of their corporate venture capital arm, which has invested in a number of well-known space companies, including some that have been on this podcast. So he has a really good view of the space sector in general and also specifically about space startups. Enjoy!
Btw, happy Thanksgivings holiday to our many listeners in the U.S.!
Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.or...
2022-11-2551 min
Space Business PodcastSpace Business Podcast #84 Jaume Sanpera, Sateliot: IOT connectivity from space
Our guest this week is Jaume Sanpera, CEO & founder of Sateliot, a Barcelona-based startup providing IOT connectivity from space. IOT is an interesting market which various startups (and established companies) are tackling and we discuss current and future use cases, what technology Sateliot uses, how it is executing its go-to-market, and many other things. You will not want to miss this one. Enjoy!
Sateliot's job board: https://sateliot.space/en/careers/
The English version of Raphael's introductory book to the space economy will be out very soon. There continue to be the Portuguese ("Para cima"...
2022-11-0454 min
Space Business Podcast#83 To Infinity, Book PreviewThe English version of my introductory book to the space economy is finally about to come out. In this special episode, I read the introductory chapter for you.
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
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.
Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_s...
2022-10-3014 min
Space Business Podcast#82 Ole Dokka, Spaceport NorwayMy guest Ole Dokka probably knows the Norwegian space ecosystem like nobody else. He is the organizer of the Spaceport Norway conference, which will take place in Oslo next week. We talk about what is going on in space in Norway, including the Andøya spaceport, and of course also about the conference. Enjoy!
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven:
ht...
2022-10-2242 min
Space Business Podcast#81 Dan Harkins, Tropical Weather Analytics
In this episode we talk about predicting extreme weather, timely (if not planned!) given hurricane Ian -- by the way, we hope you are all safe & sound!
Dan Harkins, the COO of Tropical Weather Analytics will tell us about extreme weather and how their proposed satellite constellation may help us predict it.
TWA Website: https://weathersats.com/
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught cou...
2022-09-3045 min
Space Business Podcast#80 Austin Link, Starfish Space: Space TugsMy guest this week is Austin Link, a co-founder of Starfish Space. Starfish develops a space tug that can be used for satellite life extension and space debris removal. Austin and his co-founder Trevor both came out of Blue Origin and are now well on their way at Starfish, which raised a seed round last year. Please enjoy listening to their story.
https://www.starfishspace.com/
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join th...
2022-09-2344 min
Space Business Podcast#79 Avi LoebThis episode is with a guest who I wanted to have on for a while. Avi Loeb is a Professor of Science at Harvard and was the chair of its astronomy department from 2011 to 2020. He has written 8 books, including the best-seller “Extraterrestrial”, and hundreds of research papers. Among many other things, he is well-known for his views on the Oumuamua interstellar object, and he now heads the Galileo project, which is looking for further such objects. One of his upcoming projects is an expedition to try to retrieve fragments of another interstellar object from the ocean floor. If all this wasn...
2022-09-161h 05
Space Business Podcast#78 Bleddyn Bowen, War in Space
This week we talk about military space. The military has been part of space exploration since the beginning, and it continues to be very important, including as a major customer of, and even occasional investor in, commercial space companies. So it makes sense that we spend some time talking about military space in this podcast. I suspect there will be several episodes on this topic, but my first guest, in this episode, is Professor Bleddyn Bowen from the University of Leicester. He has literally written the book on military space, aptly called “War in Space” and will soon publish anot...
2022-09-0947 min
Space Business Podcast#77 Jim Cantrell, Phantom Space
My guest this week is the CEO and founder of Phantom Space, Jim Cantrell. Having started at JPL, Jim is also a decades-long veteran of commercial space. He has been involved in around a dozen space startups, including SpaceX in its early days. There are probably few people who have been around the commercial space sector as much as he has, so we do not only talk about Phantom but about the space economy in general. Enjoy!
https://www.phantomspace.com/
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: h...
2022-09-011h 04
Space Business Podcast#76 Ricardo Conde, Portugal SpaceMy guest this week is the President of Portugal Space, the Portuguese Space Agency, Ricardo Conde. Portugal Space was only recently formed, in 2019. Ricardo and I talk about that experience of founding a new national space agency and dive into some of their marquis projects, including in the remote sensing value chain and the Santa Maria Spaceport in the Azores Islands. We also talk about the space economy in general and how a country like Portugal can add specific value. A quick heads up: this episode was live recorded in Ricardo’s offices and there is some background noise from th...
2022-08-261h 12
Space Business Podcast#75 Bessie Schwarz, Cloud to Street: Flood IntelligenceMy guest this week is Bessie Schwarz from Cloud to Street, a company that uses satellite imagery, and other data, to come up with better flood models for customers like governments and insurance companies. Hence, it is an example of the use of space technology for something useful right here on Earth, which is one of our favorite topics!
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Raphael is designing a new, live-taught course. Join the mailing list to get updates and early access: https://j...
2022-08-1155 min
Space Business Podcast#74 2022 in Space: mid-year reviewRaphael reviews what has happened so far in the space sector in 2022 and what some of the exciting things are that may happen during the rest of the year.
JWST images:
https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages/
Space Perspective capsule:
https://www.space.com/space-perspective-capsule-balloon-tourist-flights
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the new edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Raphael is designing a new, live-taught course. Join the mailing list to get updates and early access: https://jfx8zhjodpz.typeform.com/to/t0VSuhVD
Raphael's introductory book on the space economy rec...
2022-07-3017 min
Space Business Podcast#73 Sita Sonty, BCGThis week I’m talking to Sita Sonty, who is Boston Consulting Group’s global lead for commercial space. She also previously worked at Raytheon, Sierra Nevada and SpaceX, besides being a U.S. diplomat for many years. She is one of the most interesting people I know and I am also happy to have her as an advisor at my venture firm E2MC. Enjoy our conversation!
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the new edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Raphael is designing a new, live-taught cour...
2022-07-2354 min
Space Business Podcast#72 Dr. Pippa Malmgren: the Space SpaceWe are talking about the future of the space economy as well as geopolitics and exo-politics in this episode (exo-politiics would be politics off-Earth!). I could not have a better guest for these topics: Dr. Pippa Malmgren is a renowned economist who has, among many other roles, advised President George W Bush. She recently published a couple of articles about space on her Substack. Our conversation spans everything – from Ukraine over space-based solar power all the way to aliens. You will not want to miss it. Enjoy!
Link to Dr. Pippa Malmgren's Substack: https://drpippa.substack.com/
...
2022-07-071h 02
Space Business Podcast#71 Payam Banazadeh, Capella SpaceMy guest this week is the founder & CEO of another prominent new space company – Payam Banazadeh from Capella Space. Capella is a remote sensing company that is using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology. Don’t worry – we will explain what SAR is during the episode. The important summary: it allows you to see at night and through cloud cover. You can imagine that has interesting and important use cases. Payam will take us through those and many other things about Capella. Enjoy!
Capella's job board: https://www.capellaspace.com/about-us/careers/
Opportunities to learn more about space...
2022-06-2859 min
Space Business Podcast#70 Alex Fielding, PrivateerIt’s another fun episode this week as I sit down with Alex Fielding, co-founder and CEO of Privateer. You may have heard about Privateer when it first emerged last year, with few details about it, but intriguingly having Apple co-founder Steve "Woz" Wozniak as its President and co-founder. Earlier this year, Privateer came further out of stealth and we learned that, among other things, they are doing space situational awareness … and got a sponsorship from Swiss watchmaker Omega! But there is so much more to the story. Listen to the episode to find out. Full disclosure: my venture fund E2MC...
2022-05-3000 min
Space Business Podcast#68 Shey Sabripour, CesiumAstroMy guest is Shey Sabripour, the founder and CEO of CesiumAstro, a prominent late stage startup in the satellite communications area. Specifically, they design and build phased array communications systems, actually not only for satellites but also for aerial platforms like drones. You may now wonder what phased array is, but don’t worry, Shey explains it in the episode. In any event, it’s important tech, as also evidenced by the fact that CesiumAstro managed to raise a US$60 million Series B round a couple of months ago.
Opportunities to learn more about space business:
Check...
2022-05-2539 min
Space Business Podcast#67 Bradford Space
Our guests this week are Ian Fichtenbaum and Chris Carpenter from Bradford Space. Bradford has been around for a while and their systems, such as propulsion and attitude control, have gathered quite a bit of space heritage already. Now they have an exciting new project. Hear about it in this episode!
Opportunities to learn more about space business:
Check out the new edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
I am also designing a new live-taught course. Join the mailing list to get updates and early access: https://jfx8zhjodpz.typeform.com/to/t0V...
2022-04-2754 min
Space Business Podcast#66 Chris Hadfield
I have an Easter / Passover / Ramadan treat for you: my guest this week is none other than Chris Hadfield, the Canadian astronaut. Among his many accomplishments are being the first Canadian to conduct EVA (colloquially a ‘spacewalk’) and also the first Canadian to serve as Commander of the Int’l Space Station. Besides that, he is also a musician and a writer, who recently published a thrilling novel called ‘The Apollo Murders’. We talk about all of this during this episode – you will not want to miss it. Enjoy & happy holidays!
Opportunities to learn more about space business:
Check out the...
2022-04-141h 08