SSPI

Who are the leaders helping guide the future of the space and satellite industry, and why do they choose to serve?

In this episode of the SSPI podcast, Why I Serve, we meet Andrew Faiola, Commercial Vice President at Astroscale and Chair of the SSPI Board of Directors.

Andrew reflects on more than two decades in satellite communications, beginning with a 1992 Space Shuttle mission that sparked his interest in the industry and now connects directly to his work in on-orbit servicing and space sustainability.

In this conversation we find out:

• What first drew him into the satellite industry
• How the industry has adapted through major technology shifts
• Why he has chosen to serve through SSPI, GSOA, MSUA and the SSPI UK Chapter
• What makes SSPI different as a membership organization
• His vision for SSPI's next two year why the industry must do a better job telling its story
• And why the people entering the industry make him optimistic

This episode is part of SSPI's Space and Satellite Futures track, focused on leadership and the next generation of the industry.

If you are interested in satellite communications, on-orbit servicing, space sustainability, professional leadership and the future of the space and satellite community, this conversation offers a thoughtful view from SSPI's new Chair.

The Lighthouse Problem in Space

Everyone wants safer space. But who pays for it?

In Episode 4 of Are We There Yet?, Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with Dr. Joseph N. Pelton about one of the hardest problems in the Space Safety Economy: shared safety infrastructure.

Joe offers a deceptively simple analogy from maritime history, and it may be one of the clearest ways to understand the economic challenge of space safety. The conversation also explores why debris mitigation cannot depend on voluntary guidelines alone, how the Kessler Syndrome could threaten access to space, and whether an insurance-style fund could help pay for debris removal while rewarding operators for clean launches and successful deorbits.

Widening the frame, Joe discusses space safety concerns beyond debris. Space safety includes solar storms, coronal mass ejections, planetary defense and the protection of Earth's increasingly space-dependent infrastructure, from satellites and power grids to pipelines and communications systems.

Sponsored by the American Space Exploration Children's Trust Fund.

Who are the leaders helping guide the future of the space and satellite industry, and why do they choose to serve?

In this episode of the SSPI podcast, Why I Serve, we meet Stephen Hanna of Vantor and a member of both the SSPI Mid-Atlantic Chapter Board and the SSPI International Board.

Stephen shares his journey from geography and business into geospatial intelligence, satellite imagery, and space intelligence. He reflects on the rapid evolution of geospatial technologies, the importance of continuous learning, and the role that professional communities play in helping people build meaningful careers.

In this conversation Stephen reveals:

• how he found his way into the space industry
• how geospatial intelligence has evolved over the past two decades
• why mentorship and professional communities matter
• what makes the SSPI Mid-Atlantic Chapter successful
• and what excites him most about the future of space sustainability

This episode is part of SSPI's Space and Satellite Futures track, focused on leadership and the next generation of the industry.

Careers rarely follow a straight line.

In this episode of Movers…In Our Orbit, SSPI Executive Director Tamara Bond-Williams welcomes back Diana Klochkova to discuss her transition from marketing leadership to corporate strategy, her move from Privateer to Rebel Space Technologies, and the role curiosity has played throughout her career.

From economics and storytelling to startup growth and executive leadership, Diana shares lessons learned from building businesses, communicating complex ideas, and creating opportunities by reaching out to people who inspire her.

The conversation also explores the importance of systems thinking, the growing need for non-engineering talent in the space industry, and why some of the best career opportunities begin with a simple conversation.

And finally, listeners will meet Merle, Diana's seventy-four-pound sulcata tortoise and neighborhood celebrity.

What happens when astronauts, spacecraft, or future lunar settlers need help and there's no communications network to call on?

In Episode 3 of Are We There Yet?, Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with Toni Spatola, Chief Commercial Officer of Filtronic, about the communications and navigation infrastructure that may enable safe operations beyond Earth orbit.

Using the Artemis II communications blackout as a starting point, the conversation explores how governments and industry are building the communications, positioning, and navigation systems that future lunar missions may depend upon.

If communications infrastructure is a prerequisite for safe operations, it may also become one of the foundational investments and service sectors of the emerging Space Safety Economy.

Sponsored by the American Space Exploration Children's Trust Fund.

Artemis has returned human spaceflight to the Moon. Attention is now turning to what follows — how activity between Earth and the Moon develops, where opportunity begins to take shape, and how safety and operational readiness influence participation. This rebroadcast of the May edition of the New York Space Business Roundtable, brings together perspectives from industry, finance, and policy to examine what is forming now, what signals matter to investors and operators, and how organizations are positioning themselves in response.

This session explores:

• Where early opportunity is taking shape
• What signals matter to investors and operators
• How safety and reliability influence decision-making
• How organizations are positioning themselves for what comes next

Featured speakers include:

• Shatel Bhakta, ESDMD SAO Lunar Architecture Team Lead, NASA
• Stephen Eisele, CEO, Lonestar Data Holdings
• Jessica Gregory, VP, Civil Space Programs, Voyager Technologies
• Zack Hester, Head of U.S. Office, Novaspace
• Paolo Pino, Co-Founder & CTO, Volta Space Technologies

Before livestreaming became ordinary, satellite communications transformed how humanity experienced the world. In this episode of Movers…In Our Orbit, SSPI Executive Director Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with Robert M. Patterson, founder of The SPACECONNECTION, about the rise of satellite television and the communications revolution that made live global broadcasting possible. Inspired by the Apollo 11 broadcast, Patterson went on to help pioneer satellite sports distribution, HDTV broadcasting, digital transmission techniques, and transportable uplink systems that reshaped television infrastructure worldwide. The conversation also explores what today's NewSpace generation can learn from earlier cycles of communications innovation, industry transformation, and technology hype.

What if aviation's real problem was never bandwidth?

When airlines deploy new connectivity systems, installations can take years across an operational fleet. But satellite connectivity ecosystems are now evolving far faster than traditional aviation deployment cycles.

In this episode of SSPI's From Connectivity to Intelligence series, Mike Moeller, SVP of Aviation at Quvia, discusses what happens when rapidly changing connectivity environments collide with the realities of commercial aviation infrastructure.

Drawing on more than two decades in in-flight connectivity, Mike explores the industry's transition through GEO, Ka-band, Ku-band, LEO, and increasingly complex multi-orbit environments.

The topic locks in a core insight: by the time a connectivity upgrade reaches an entire fleet, the connectivity landscape itself may already have changed. Quvia has a solution.

SSPI thanks Chandra Labs for "Chandra Deep Field South, in X-ray Light," from the album Universal Harmonies (Suah Sounds, 2023), featured in the intros, outros, and intermissions of select SSPI podcasts. This track is a sonification of NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory data, created by Dr. Kimberly Arcand and the Chandra Labs team, translating the light of distant galaxies into sound.

Listen to the full album: https://chandralabs.bandcamp.com/album/universal-harmonies

In this episode of The SSPI Podcast, part of the Space & Satellite Futures track, Tamara Bond-Williams welcomes XTAR back to the SSPI community in a conversation with Pat Rayermann, Chief Executive Officer of XTAR.

Pat shares how XTAR became a pioneer in commercial military X-band satellite communications, serving government and military customers in a segment where reliability, trust and mission assurance are essential. He explains why X-band continues to matter, how XTAR is adapting through next-generation satellites with X-band, military Ka-band and UHF payloads, and what it means to operate a focused SATCOM company in a rapidly changing market.

The conversation also explores space safety, orbital debris, satellite replacement, maneuverability, refueling, NATO and multinational SATCOM cooperation, and why resilience depends on a diverse mix of commercial and military capabilities. Pat also reflects on his long relationship with SSPI and why he brought XTAR back into the community as a returning corporate member.

How is satellite data evolving from passive observation into real-time decision-making?

In this episode, BlackSky: How Is BlackSky Turning Space Data Into Real-Time Decisions?, we welcome new SSPI member BlackSky and explore how speed is redefining the value of space-based intelligence.

Joined by Katelyn Fobes, the conversation unpacks how BlackSky combines high-frequency satellite imagery with AI-driven analytics to detect anomalies and deliver actionable insights within hours, and sometimes minutes, of collection. From tracking aircraft and maritime activity to supporting disaster response, the focus is on operational relevance… not just data.

We also explore how commercial space is reshaping government missions, the role of human-in-the-loop decision-making, and why workforce, mentorship, and community are central to how BlackSky is showing up as a new SSPI member.