Space Café Radio

In this Space Café Radio - Austria special - Host Sabine Pongruber, CEO of WEME Global, welcomed Markus Mooslechner on 10 November 2023.

“Anyone can be a good storyteller because everyone has a story to tell.”

Embark on a Journey of Discovery with Markus, an Award-Winning Storyteller and Science Communicator!

Immerse yourself in an engaging conversation that explores the depths of genuine human interaction and the craft of storytelling. Join Markus Mooslechner, a celebrated filmmaker, podcaster, TV host, and science communicator, as he navigates the complexities of science with ease. Known for his unique ability to make intricate scientific concepts both accessible and captivating, Markus is trusted by institutions like CERN and ESA for his effective communication skills.

This experience goes beyond mere storytelling. Witness how Artificial Intelligence becomes an integral part of our exploration and understanding. Markus will take you through the thrilling potential and significant impact of AI on society.

Step into a new realm where science, emotion, and human connection coalesce. It’s more than an opportunity for science aficionados, the inquisitively minded, and story lovers; it’s a chance to broaden your horizons and enhance your understanding.

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

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This episode of Space Cafè Radio inaugurates our Karman mini-series, produced in collaboration with the Karman Project. The Karman Project every year selects 15 fellows from around the world to foster trust, cooperation, and dialogue between global leaders in space.

Our first guest is Aoife Van Linden Tol,  artist and founder of Ferral. In conversation with Editor in Chief Emma Gatti, Aoefe  shared her view about the importance of culture creation in space, and the need for equitable access and influence.

Thanks to her background as an artist involved in the space industry, she is able to articulate the challenges faced by the creative industries in space and the potential impact they can have. Her views  highlights the need for collaboration and the importance of protecting and preserving our planet.

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

Support the show

You can find us on: Spotify and Apple Podcast!

Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
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In this interview, Jean-Marc Piéplu, the EGNOS Exploitation Program Manager at the European GNSS Agency, discusses the role of EU Spine Operating Galileo and EGNOS within the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. Editor in Chief Emma Gatti and Jean Marc discussed how the European GNSS Service Centre and the Galileo Reference Centres contribute to the provision of the Galileo Service, and the services provided by EUSPA. 

The complexity and importance of maintaining and evolving the infrastructure to meet our every day needs is staggering,  and much of this "unseen" work is performed by EUSPA.  Is Galileo competitive against its American more famous counterpart?  The answer is in this radio episode!

This episode is supported by EUSPA - The European Union Agency for the Space Programme 

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

Support the show

You can find us on: Spotify and Apple Podcast!

Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
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In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Richard Lochhead, Member of the Scottish Parliament and Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade just before the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen.

Torsten and Minister Lochhead spoke about the space industry in Scotland. Mr Lochhead highlights the rapid growth and impact of the space sector in Scotland, particularly in manufacturing small satellites. He mentions the presence of companies like Spire, AAC Clyde Space, and Mangata, which contribute to Scotland's reputation as a satellite manufacturing hub.
They also discussed the role of universities in Scotland in providing talent and research for the space industry. Mr Lochhead emphasizes the economic benefits of the space sector, including higher-value jobs and export opportunities. He also talks about Scotland's focus on space sustainability and the support available from the Scottish government for companies interested in settling in Scotland.

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

Support the show

You can find us on: Spotify and Apple Podcast!

Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
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In this latest episode of Space Café Radio, our editor in chief Emma Gatti converses with guest Patrizia Caraveo, research director at the Italian Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) about Europe's challenges within the space industry. 

The conversation revolves around the recent news of the EU commissioning the launch of part of its Galileo's satellites to SpaceX, due to lack of European heavy launchers. The European space programs are falling behind due to lack of investment in reusable rockets, economical sustainability of heavy launches, and policy mistakes related to past managerial decisions. Will Europe be able to catch up, and amend? 

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:18 Discussion on European Space Strategy

01:03 The Issue of European Dependence on SpaceX

01:26 Reflections on Europe's Space Politics

06:07 The Paradox of Europe's Space Economy

10:43 The Future of Europe's Space Program

12:17 The Political Complexity of Europe's Space Activities

14:07 Conclusion and Farewell

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In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Neutron Star Systems (NSS) CEO Manuel La Rosa Betancourt, CTO Dr. Michael Winter, and Investor Relationship Manager Robin Lebeau before the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen. 

They shed a light on the challenges and future prospects of NSS, a German space startup specializing in electric propulsion technology.

1. Challenges and Ambitions: NSS faces challenges operating as a smaller disruptive startup in the risk-averse German space ecosystem. However, their partnerships with the European Innovation Council and the European Space Agency provide them with opportunities to overcome these hurdles. They emphasize the importance of perseverance, determination, and capitalizing on the right opportunities to succeed.
2. Future Plans and Collaboration: NSS aims to continue developing its electric propulsion technology, achieve technical milestones, and secure investments. They also highlight their commitment to collaboration across Europe and beyond, positioning themselves as part of a European ecosystem rather than being bound to a single country.
3. Nuclear Propulsion: The conversation touches on the significance of nuclear propulsion for future space exploration. While the technology is not mainstream, it is recognized as a potential game-changer for high-power spacecraft. It's assumed that countries like Russia and China might take the lead in developing nuclear propulsion due to fewer regulatory constraints.

In summary, the interview highlights NSS's determination to advance electric propulsion technology and its readiness to collaborate on a European scale.
SpaceWatch.Global thanks Neutron Star Systems for its support producing this episode.

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

Support the show

You can find us on: Spotify and Apple Podcast!

Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
Follow us on LinkedIn and X!

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Dr Pascal Faucher, Chairman of European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST), Defense and Security, CNES, at the Software Defined Space Conference - SDSC in Tallinn, Estonia, beginning November 2023.

In the interview, Pascal outlines the strategic imperative for Europe to enhance synergies between its civil and defense sectors to ensure a competitive edge in the space industry, especially given resource limitations. There's a positive outlook on the progress made, citing early European initiatives in space situational awareness (SSA) that could lead to strategic autonomy in space within a decade, bolstered by investments from both public and private sectors. The conversation also underscores a heightened awareness due to geopolitical tensions, which has propelled investments and policy discussions around space capabilities and autonomy, suggesting a significant shift toward prioritizing space in the European defense and civil agendas, with optimistic projections for future development and autonomy.

1. Strategic Priorities and Coordination: There is a strong emphasis on the need for strategic prioritization and coordination between civil and defense sectors in the European space industry. The goal is to maximize synergies and efficiently use limited resources to maintain a competitive edge. This includes leveraging the civil European Union space program and the European Defense Fund to support the development of commercial and military sensors, which Pascal notes as a "win-win situation."
2. Investment and Development Pace: There is a positive outlook on the development pace of Europe's space capabilities, despite being behind the market. Pascal points out that Europe started early in building operational SSA systems and suggests that with continued investment, including from the private sector, Europe could achieve a degree of strategic autonomy in space within 5 to 10 years.
3. Geopolitical Impact and Awareness: The conversation touches upon the increased awareness of the importance of space capabilities due to the current geopolitical situation, marked by what is referred to as the "aggression war Russia." This awareness has led to a recognition of the need for strategic and military autonomy in space, resulting in significant investments like the 125 million euros for military SSA calls through the European Defense Fund. Policy discussions and upcoming political frameworks are also geared toward enhancing space situational awareness and space traffic management, which are seen as crucial for Europe's autonomy and security in space.

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

Support the show

You can find us on: Spotify and Apple Podcast!

Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
Follow us on LinkedIn and X!

In this  Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Aaron Addison, incoming Executive Director of the World Geospatial Industry Council, at the Intergeo 2023 in Berlin.

WGIC's Role and Growth: Aaron highlighted the significant growth in the geospatial and space sectors, emphasizing the successful experience at Intergeo. He introduced the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) as a trade association aiming to unite various facets of the geospatial industry globally. The organization recently rebranded to reflect its diverse membership, which now includes traditional geospatial companies and newer entrants like satellite and ocean data companies.

Potential of Unused Space Data: Aaron addressed a significant observation that a lot of space data remains unused, especially from Earth observations. He emphasized the vast potential for this data, encouraging the exploration of applications beyond the original intentions of data collection. This converges with WGIC's mission to elevate the geospatial conversation and create business opportunities.

Metaverse and Geospatial Industry: The interview touched on the metaverse concept and its relevance to the geospatial industry. WGIC recently released a report focusing on the metaverse from a geospatial perspective. While the term "metaverse" can mean different things in different contexts (like gaming or business), the report aims to define its meaning and significance specifically for the geospatial industry, distinguishing it from the concept of digital twins. Here is the link to the Metaverse study.

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

Support the show

You can find us on: Spotify and Apple Podcast!

Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
Follow us on LinkedIn and X!

In this episode of Space Café Radio, SpaceWatch.Global’s publisher, Torsten Kriening, talks with Nicole Thalhofer, head of Space at the BDLI - German Aerospace Industries Association about the new German Space Strategy, released at the end of September 2023.

The strategy identifies nine fields of action for the German Federal Government. These action fields include:

• European and international cooperation
• Space as a growth market - High-tech and New Space
• Climate change, resources, and environmental protection
• Digitalization, data, and downstream
• Security, strategic capability, and global stability
• Sustainable use of space
• Space research
• International space exploration
• Space in dialogue and talent acquisition

SpaceWatch.Global reported about the release of the strategy here.

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

Support the show

You can find us on: Spotify and Apple Podcast!

Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
Follow us on LinkedIn and X!

In this  Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Ketil Olsen, CEO of Andoya Space. 

This episode was recorded 300 km north of the Arctic Circle on Andoya island during the presentation and the handover of the strategic framework for the spaceport Norway. Strategic framework means the potential development and opportunities that the spaceport will bring, from space business and an innovation hub to tourism, housing, and connectivity for the island and the region. 

Here is the link to the Strategic Framework Andoya- A Place for Space.

You can find a few pictures from the location in the episode on our website.
This episode is supported by Innovation Norway.

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

Support the show

You can find us on: Spotify and Apple Podcast!

Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
Follow us on LinkedIn and X!