Space Business Podcast

spacebusiness

Space is rapidly growing into an exciting ecosystem for business. In this podcast we hear from entrepreneurs, executives, investors and others about the many opportunities that exist. This podcast is produced by the Space Business Institute in partnership with the International Space University. read less

Space Business Podcast #94 Matt Gialich, AstroForge: Asteroid Mining
5d ago
Space Business Podcast #94 Matt Gialich, AstroForge: Asteroid Mining
Asteroid 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! Follow us: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen/ Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Instagram - brand new! @raphael_space 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-economyThere is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.comDo 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 2:17 Elevator pitch 4:44 Do we really have to mine in space? 7:02 Background and Origin Story 11:51 Previous asteroid mining companies 13:51 Hitching a ride to the Moon 15:14 Lowering mission costs 16:18 Spacecraft specs 17:38 Technology limitations 19:45 Mission objectives and timeline 21:18 Extraction tech 21:56 Approaching an asteroid 23:23 Power budget 25:40 Scaling up 26:49 Potential vs. current (on Earth) PGM cost 30:13 Business model 31:44 Regulations 33:24 Geopolitics 34:24 Funding 35:57 Vision 36:41 Biggest risks and challenges  37:40 Current focus 39:00 Mining other things besides PGM 40:00 Sci-Fi
Space Business Podcast #93 - Nima Shahinian
Mar 2 2023
Space Business Podcast #93 - Nima Shahinian
Nima 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/ Follow us: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen/ Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Instagram - brand new! @raphael_space 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-economyThere is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.comDo 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 2:43 How did Nima become an astronaut candidate? 4:51 Nima's Design work 6:20 Space design 8:16 Best space suits 10:00 Family's take 11:20 Forming a project team 12:54 Timeline and origin 18:01 First mission 20:50 Financing the Project 24:33 Iranian women in space 26:26 The Next Step project 30:15 Potential candidates 33:13 Plans for the mission 38:30 Nima's space training to date 41:48 Helping Project Next Step 44:03 Vision for the project 45:57 Sci-Fi
Space Business Podcast #92 Wave Motion Launch Corporation
Feb 25 2023
Space 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! Follow us: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Instagram - brand new! @raphael_space 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-economyThere is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.comDo 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 2:24 Elevator Pitch 3:31 Rocket equation tyranny 5:35 Wave Motion launch tech 7:45 Historical space gun projects 12:21 "G-hardened"pPayloads 13:06 Architecture 14:46 Payload Capacity 16:35 Ground Infrastructure 18:45 Launch Cadence 21:12 Product Sequencing 27:10 Managing time and projects as a small team 29:36 Getting a Naval Research Contract 33:42 Geopolitics 35:00 Orbital launch costs 35:35 Roadmap 40:19 Origin of name 41:37 Other opportunities in space 42:45 Sci-Fi
Space Business Podcast #91 - dearMoon crew: Karim Iliya
Jan 27 2023
Space Business Podcast #91 - dearMoon crew: Karim Iliya
This 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/ Follow us: https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Instagram - brand new! @raphael_space 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-economyThere is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.comDo 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 2:58 Hawaii, Iceland and the Moon 4:41 The most fascinating thing about the Moon 06:04 How Karim got interested in Space 8:22 The future of space exploration 11:52 Initial application for dearMoon 14:23 Taking photos in microgravity 18:42 Summary of Karim's work 22:26 Thoughts before going to Space 25:12 What would aliens photograph on Earth? 27:58 Absence of life in Space 30:00 The moment Karim found out he was selected 36:00 Research and preparations for the mission 37:54 Remaining key questions 40:37 Special items to bring along on the mission
Space Business Podcast #90 - Victor Hespanha, New Shepard astronaut
Jan 19 2023
Space Business Podcast #90 - Victor Hespanha, New Shepard astronaut
Did 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 his language comfort zone. So please keep it in mind when he is occasionally searching for the right word. Victor's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hespanhavictor/ Follow us: https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Instagram - brand new! @raphael_space 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-economyThere is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.comDo 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 2:50 How did Victor end up going to space? 4:14 The Crypto Space Agency (CSA) 5:38 The CSA sweepstakes 6:35 Victor's initial reaction 7:57 Biggest fears 10:30 Family reaction 11:51 Marcos Pontes, the first Brazilian Astronaut 12:32 Preparing for space flight 15:24 Wife's reaction 16:19 Corn Ranch astronaut village 17:38 The bar at Corn Ranch 19:34 Formal training and bonding with the crew 23:00 The night before the launch 25:30 The final briefing and the day of the launch 28:00 Countdown and liftoff 29:40 Microgravity 33:50 Seeing Earth from Space 35:05 Memorable moments 37:10 Descending from Space 39:35 After-mission protocol 43:00 Special items 44:21 Aftermath 45:50 Coming back to Brazil 49:22 Post-Space life
Space Business Podcast #89 - Morpheus Space
Jan 14 2023
Space Business Podcast #89 - Morpheus Space
Daniel 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! Follow us: https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space 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-economyThere is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.comDo 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 2:31 Elevator pitch 4:12 The origin of "Morpheus Space" 7:40 Perceived market gap 9:54 Is propulsion for collision avoidance all just a PR stunt? 11:36 Satellite collision data 13:25 Propulsion modeling 17:05 Business model 20:51 Talking to customers 21:48 Propulsion 28:29 Scaleability 30:36 Product constraints and challenges 33:25 Morpheus Space other line of products 36:21 How to prioritize 39:05 Partnership with Kayhan Space 41:11 Vision for the company 42:35 Other interesting things in the Space sector 45:45 Sci-Fi
Space Business Podcast #88 dearMoon crew: Brendan Hall
Dec 22 2022
Space Business Podcast #88 dearMoon crew: Brendan Hall
I’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 first look at it – don’t miss it. dearMoon crew website: https://dearmoon.earth/ Brendan's website: http://www.brendanhall.com/ Follow us: https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space 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-economyThere is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.comDo 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 3:02 Where Brendan was when he found out he was selected as a crew member 5:30 Mindset through the selection process 6:55 Weighing risks and responsibilities 13:39 Where to point the camera lens 16:21 Microgravity 18:10 Initial selection process 23:15 Further steps of the process 26:21 Crew synergies 29:57 Ideal outcome of the mission 32:18 National parks 36:06 The night sky and the Moon 38:42 Special places on Earth 41:00 Humanity's future on the Moon 42:27 Sci-Fi 44:08 What Brendan has been up to since finding out he was on the crew 46:40 Things to bring along on the mission
Space Business Podcast #87 Casey Handmer
Dec 15 2022
Space Business Podcast #87 Casey Handmer
Casey 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/ Follow us: https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Instagram: @raphael_space Learn more about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economyThere is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.comDo 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 2:30 Casey's blog 3:57 Target audience 4:51 Topic selection 7:53 Lunar base post 8:59 Power delivery to the Moon 12:24 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress 13:09 Understanding Starship 17:04 Getting humanity to Mars 21:50 Why come back to Earth? 26:05 Starship use cases on Mars 31:47 Constraints on building a self-sufficient city on Mars 33:50 Terraforming Mars 40:34 Convincing people to go to Mars 44:02 Space babies 51:51 Sci-Fi
Space Business Podcast #86 Dan Katz, Orbital Sidekick, Hyperspectral Earth Observation
Dec 9 2022
Space Business Podcast #86 Dan Katz, Orbital Sidekick, Hyperspectral Earth Observation
Dan 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! Follow us:  https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Instagram: @raphael_space Learn more about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economyThere is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.comDo 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 2:14 Elevator Pitch 3:55 What is Hyperspectral Earth Observation? 10:16 Multispectral vs. Hyperspectral vs. ... Ultraspectral(?)  14:40 The upper bounds of spectral resolution 18:55 Operating at night time and under cloud cover 22:43 Data and onboard processing 27:15 Business Model 30:50 Coverage 31:52 Resolution 36:28 Pipeline leaks as a use case 40:14 Orbital Sidekick's satellites 45:43 Selling to non-space customers 48:37 Vision for the company 52:42 Origin story 56:05 Space trends 58:00 Sci-Fi
Space Business Podcast #85 Egbert Jan van der Veen, OHB
Nov 25 2022
Space 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.org/course/new-space-economyDo 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_space Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast   Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:22 Egbert's background 5:39 Space in 2010 9:09 The OHB experience 10:38 Engineering vs. Business 11:47 What is OHB? 15:15 Vertical integration and supply chain 17:30 Cubesats and Smallsats 20:27 Vertical integration and demand 25:27 The DNA of OHB 28:12 Opportunities in satellite components 32:10 Noteworthy trends on satellite integration 34:30 The Software side of things 36:09 Rockets 40:33 OHB name origin 41:45 OHB Ventures 44:17 What kind of opportunities OHB is looking for 47:09 Disruptive Space tech in 2022 49:20 Sci-Fi
Space Business Podcast #84 Jaume Sanpera, Sateliot: IOT connectivity from space
Nov 4 2022
Space 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") and German ("Hoch Hinaus") editions. Learn more about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economyDo 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_space Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:23 Elevator Pitch 3:47 The comparison with satellite-to-mobile  6:29 Details on system architecture 9:29 Space Debris 10:09 Ground based infrastructure 14:42 Data and use cases 22:32 Spectrum rights 26:33 First coverage areas 28:12 Customer acquisition 34:42 Pricing and what matters to customers 37:27 Ocean-based use cases 41:55 10-year vision 43:20 Challenges for the sector 46:22 Origin story 48:53 Advice on space business 50:17 Sateliot is hiring 51:40 What else is interesting in space 52:45 Sci-Fi
#82 Ole Dokka, Spaceport Norway
Oct 22 2022
#82 Ole Dokka, Spaceport Norway
My 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-economyDo 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-courseRaphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon. The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast   Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:06 Ole's background 4:35 Transitioning from corporate life to the space sector 7:03 2016 vs 2022 8:04 Spaceport Norway 12:44 Who is going to Spaceport Norway? 14:30 Bringing in non-space corporations 16:10 What makes a good space conference? 21:55 The Norwegian space ecosystem 25:40 The Norwegian national space strategy 30:22 Norway's potential in the space sector 36:46 Ole's future projects 39:25 Sci-fi
#81 Dan Harkins, Tropical Weather Analytics
Sep 30 2022
#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-economyDo 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-courseRaphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon. The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast   Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:30 Elevator pitch 3:22 NASA's weather prediction tech 4:09 Prediction timeframe and accuracy 8:17 The Polar Vortex 9:03 Why has nobody done this before? 11:24 What Tropical Weather Analytics provides 15:03 Measuring wind 17:13 The ESA Arctic Weather Satellite and other sources of data 19:32 Reluctance to use this data 23:55 Key customer segments and go to market strategy 28:14 Aviation 30:53 Satellites 32:28 Timeline, fundraising and vision 35:27 Microwave sounders 38:23 Climate Change analysis 39:30 Origin story 40:50 What else to do in the space sector 43:11 Sci-Fi NB: Dan briefly mentions Spaced Ventures at some point. For full disclosure, Raphael is a member of Spaced's investment advisory committee. As a reminder, the podcast is purely for journalistic purposes and nothing constitutes investment advice or solicitation.
#80 Austin Link, Starfish Space: Space Tugs
Sep 23 2022
#80 Austin Link, Starfish Space: Space Tugs
My 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-economyDo 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-courseRaphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon. The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast   Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:16 Elevator pitch & origin story 6:06 Blue Origin 14:14 The satellite life extension market 19:42 Debris removal 24:00 Going to market 27:10 Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) 33:43 Starfish Space timeline 36:59 Working with Governments 38:46 Starfish Space is hiring 39:04 What else to do in the space sector 41:50 Sci-Fi
#79 Avi Loeb
Sep 16 2022
#79 Avi Loeb
This 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’t interesting enough, we also talk about academia, the way science is pursued, and how we can ensure our kids maintain scientific curiosity. Enjoy!   Avi's book "Extraterrestrial": https://www.amazon.com/Extraterrestrial-First-Intelligent-Beyond-Earth/dp/0358278147   Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economyDo 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-courseRaphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon. The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast   Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:14 Avi's farm background and the "Indistinguishable grains of sand" 4:27 What makes humanity unique? 8:49 How academics can suppress innovation 12:01 Fixing the academic "system" 20:07 The Fermi Paradox 25:34 Cosmic archaeology 35:32 Is Earth worth visiting? 39:50 The Galileo Project 40:52 UAPs 44:29 Current status of observation tech 49:13 Planned expedition to the Ocean floor 53:40 Projects that we should be engaging in 57:42 James Webb Space Telescope 01:00:36 Keeping your childlike curiosity
#78 Bleddyn Bowen, War in Space
Sep 9 2022
#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 another one. We talk about his books, the recent establishment of the U.S. Space Force, how one should think about space as a military domain, about relevant space capabilities, and a few other things. Enjoy! Prof. Bleddyn Bowen's books: https://www.amazon.com/Bleddyn-E-Bowen/e/B09X5QSTNW/   Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy: Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economyRaphael is designing a new, live-taught course. Join the mailing list to get updates and early access: https://jfx8zhjodpz.typeform.com/to/t0VSuhVDRaphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon. The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast   Timestamps 0:00 Intro 3:15 The space domain as a military domain 8:00 Which problem(s) could the Space Force solve? 12:08 Bleddyn's books 13:03 Why Space warfare? 14:52 Analogies to space a military domain 19:30 Key capabilities 24:12 Space defense companies 28:11 Potential vulnerable capabilities 38:24 Circling back to Bleddyn's books 44:19 Sci Fi
#77 Jim Cantrell, Phantom Space
Sep 1 2022
#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: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economyRaphael is designing a new, live-taught course. Join the mailing list to get updates and early access: https://jfx8zhjodpz.typeform.com/to/t0VSuhVDRaphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon. The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:20 Jim's background 6:30 The last 20 years in space vs. Jim's expectations 9:20 SpaceX 14:14 A couple of key lessons from SpaceX 21:23 Phantom Space business model 24:15 Phantom Space and partner startups 26:55 Taking the "friction" out of space business 32:47 Standardization in space 35:32 How Russia is affecting the Space Economy 39:57 Vision for Phantom Space 40:40 Key lessons from Jim's experience with startups 45:18 Core DNA of Phantom Space 47:15 Phantom Space's vehicles 50:23 Phantom Space in 10 years 50:56 Rapid fire questions on the space economy 55:33 The space sector in 20 years 01:01:42 Fun questions
#76 Ricardo Conde, Portugal Space
Aug 26 2022
#76 Ricardo Conde, Portugal Space
My 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 the AC, but it gets better over time. 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-economyRaphael is designing a new, live-taught course. Join the mailing list to get updates and early access: https://jfx8zhjodpz.typeform.com/to/t0VSuhVDRaphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space   Timestamps 0:00 Intro 3:51 The origins of Portugal Space 17:29 Global navigation data friction and space debris 31:44 Portugal Space timeline 37:52 Open sourcing capability for space startups and space education 48:33 Building an ecosystem of space companies in Portugal 52:54 Space law and regulations in Portugal 57:45 International space companies 59:37 The potential successful outcome 01:02:25 PT Space is hiring! 01:05:00 Closing message