In this episode, Matt unpacks what it really means when billionaires start shaping national space policy sometimes more directly than governments themselves. We talk about Jared Isaacman’s new NASA leadership tone, the fight over NASA budgets, and why institutions like NCAR suddenly found themselves accused of being “woke” simply for doing climate science.

Along the way, we contrast all of that with the quieter, steadier side of exploration: ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and her upcoming Crew-12 mission to the ISS and zoom out... way out ...to two of the most astonishing science stories of the year: an interstellar visitor from another solar system, and a runaway black hole leaving a trail of newborn stars behind it.

Who is space really for? the richest voices in the room, or the public that funds the future? And why the answer matters not just for space, but for climate, science, democracy, and what kind of civilisation we want to become.