As more and more commercial space companies go public and their technologies become more entwined with other industries, the demand for accurate and detailed information on how these businesses prosper has never been higher. This has made veteran space sector analysts like today’s guest, Carissa Christensen, founder and CEO of BryceTech, so valuable to everyone from the common shareholder to the largest global investment firms. She’s been quoted in several media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Wired. Her data plays an important role in establishing realistic expectations for her clients, the greater business community, and the general public.

In addition to her role as leader of BryceTech, Carissa is a member of the National Research Council Space Technology Industry-Government-University Roundtable, which advises NASA. She also serves on the World Economic Forum Global Future Council, the Advisory Council of the Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy, and as an adviser to the annual U.S. Air Force Schriever Wargame. 

In this episode of On Orbit, Carissa takes us behind the scenes to explain the methodology of her analysis, which involves creating industry simulations and a comprehensive understanding of how space technology evolves. We talk about her role in creating the Satellite Industry Association’s annual state of the satellite industry report, as well as how the two-year long COVID-19 pandemic factors into her equations and the stability of the space industry throughout the crisis. Finally, we talk about why and how she established BryceTech, and why she describes it as both an analysis and engineering firm. 

We hope this interview explains how much work space industry analysts put into their reports and encourages you to seek out their help if you’re in need of information.