SSPI

In Everyday Guardians, the podcast series of the Securing the Future of Space campaign, we speak with the people who are helping to build a more resilient, sustainable and secure orbital environment - whether through technology, policy or ethical leadership. Securing the Future of Space is underwritten by the American Space Exploration Fund. In the third episode, we hear from Nobu Okada, Founder & CEO of Astroscale.

Since establishing Astroscale in 2013, Nobu Okada has grown the company from a one-person venture into a global organization with offices in five countries and led the company to a successful IPO in 2024. A highly respected figure in the space industry, Nobu is an Honorary Ambassador of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, an advisory board member of the Space Generation Advisory Council, and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He plays an active role in United Nations forums, contributing to key workshops and committee discussions that shape the global agenda for space sustainability. Nobu previously served as the IAF's Vice President for Space Economy and Sponsorship and co-chaired the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Space Technologies until 2021.

Under Nobu's leadership, Astroscale has received numerous accolades, including the IAF Excellence in Industry (SME) in 2023, the Japanese Prime Minister's Award in 2022, and recognition as one of TIME100's Most Influential Companies in 2022. Nobu has also received individual recognition, including the 2020 SpaceNews Company Leader of the Year and the 2019 Forbes JAPAN Start-up of The Year.

Before founding Astroscale, Nobu was an IT entrepreneur and strategy consultant, managing IT companies across the Asia-Pacific region. He successfully led one company to an IPO. Earlier in his career, he worked at McKinsey & Company and served in the Japanese Ministry of Finance. Nobu holds a bachelor's degree in Agriculture from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from the Krannert School of Business, Purdue University.

In this episode of She Reaches, host Tanveer Pujara speaks with Sarah "Sassie" Duggleby, CEO and Co-Founder of Venus Aerospace – a Houston-based startup developing hypersonic spaceplanes that could enable one-hour global travel. With a background in aerospace engineering and a bold vision for the future of high-speed transportation, Sassie is pioneering technology that could transform how we connect across the planet.

As a first-time founder, engineer, and inspiring leader, Sassie shares insights from her journey, the challenges of building something truly groundbreaking, and her passion for making space and advanced transportation more accessible.

Sassie Duggleby (left) and Tanveer Pujara (right)

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a space enthusiast, or curious about the innovators shaping the future, Sassie's story offers inspiration, real-world lessons, and a glimpse into the future of spaceflight.

In the second season of The Road Less Traveled series, SSPI's Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with people whose lives and work inspire us because they walk "the road less traveled," the one leading us to a wider view of space, satellites and our quest for the dwelling of light we call "The Truth." This episode features a roundtable conversation with Chris Impey, Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona; Dr. Claire Nelson, Chief Ideation Leader of The Futures Forum; and Frank White, Professor at Kepler Space University and author of The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution.

Chris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. He has over 450 publications on education, observational cosmology, galaxies, and quasars, and his research has been supported by $20 million in NASA and NSF grants. He has won eleven teaching awards and has taught four online classes with over 420,000 enrolled and 8 million minutes of video lectures watched. Chris Impey is a past Vice President of the American Astronomical Society, and he has won its career Education Prize. He's also been NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar, Carnegie Council's Arizona Professor of the Year, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. He has written 120 popular articles on cosmology, astrobiology and education, two textbooks, a novel called Shadow World, and ten popular science trade books: The Living Cosmos, How It Ends, Talking About Life, How It Began, Dreams of Other Worlds, Humble Before the Void, Beyond: The Future of Space Travel, Einstein's Monsters: The Life and Times of Black Holes, Worlds Without End: Exoplanets, Habitability and the Future of Humanity, and most recently Recipe for a Universe: Cosmic Chemistry from the Big Bang to You.

Dr. Claire Nelson, Chief Visionary Officer of The Futures Forum, is listed among Forbes Top 50 Female Futurists. The author of the game-changing book SMART Futures for a Flourishing World: A Paradigm Shift for Achieving Global Sustainability, is a Board Member of the World Futures Studies Federation and Editor of its flagship magazine Human Futures. The Convenor of Space Futures Forum is noteworthy for her advocacy for global and space sustainability and serves as Advisor to various groups including Engineering for One Planet and Space for Humanity. A social entrepreneur, Nelson is Founding Convenor of June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month. A dynamic keynote speaker and storyteller, her one-woman show 'Moon Runnings: The Life & Times of the First Jamaican on the Moon' is aimed at advancing planetary consciousness. Honored as a White House Champion of Change, she holds a Doctorate in Engineering Management from George Washington University.

Frank White is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a Rhodes Scholar. He earned an M.Phil. in Politics from Oxford University. White's book, The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, is considered by many to be a seminal work in the field of space studies. He has authored or co-authored numerous additional books on a wide range of topics, including SETI, AI, and climate change. In addition to his writing career, White is co-executive editor of Sentient Media, LLC, President and Board Chair of the Human Space Program, a Professor at Kepler Space University, and a Curator of Space and AI information for Intro-act.

In the second season of The Road Less Traveled series, guest host Lou Zacharilla speaks with people whose lives and work inspire us because they walk "the road less traveled," the one leading us to a wider view of space, satellites and our quest for the dwelling of light we call "The Truth." This episode features a conversation with Justin Park, entrepreneur, technology consultant and member of the SSPI Mid-Atlantic Chapter Board who joins us to talk about his most recent endeavor, The Cross on the Moon Coalition (https://mooncross.org).

Justin Park is an entrepreneur, technology consultant, and thought leader with Master's degrees in aerospace management and computer science from the International Space University and the University of Iowa, respectively. He worked as an intern at the NASA Ames Research Center during his tenure with Accenture and as an associate for Booz Allen Hamilton at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. His first company, Intergalactic Education, developed over a dozen space-centric mobile apps. He was a volunteer editor for the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) for five years and in 2017, gave a TEDx talk at Suffolk University on the emerging commercial space economy. He has presented at the Humans to Mars Summit, the International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC), as well as at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC). He is a published author and was awarded the Yuri Gagarin Medal of Cosmonautics at the Robert Heinlein Flight into the Future Contest in 2008. He currently sits on the Board of the Space and Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) – Mid-Atlantic Chapter and is an active member of MoonDAO, a decentralized space organization that sent two astronauts into space on the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket. His most recent endeavor, The Cross on the Moon Coalition, is focused on bringing together spirituality and space exploration.

In the second season of The Road Less Traveled series, SSPI's Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with people whose lives and work inspire us because they walk "the road less traveled," the one leading us to a wider view of space, satellites and our quest for the dwelling of light we call "The Truth." This episode features a conversation with Award-winning composer Amanda Lee Falkenberg, creator of THE MOONS SYMPHONY (https://www.moons-symphony.com).

THE MOONS SYMPHONY fuses music and science to bring lunar exploration vividly to life through cinematic visuals and orchestral storytelling. Inspired by astronauts' profound perspectives, this symphonic journey reimagines our place in the cosmos and culminates in a powerful tribute to Earthrise. THE MOONS SYMPHONY is the result of bold collaboration between composer Amanda Lee Falkenberg, a symphony orchestra, and a team of planetary sciensists. A visionary work of music inspired by the real science of our solar system's most enigmatic moons. This multi-movement symphony brings together NASA data, cinematic visuals, and choral grandeur to awaken a deeper curiosity about the universe.

In the second season of The Road Less Traveled series, guest host Lou Zacharilla speaks with people whose lives and work inspire us because they walk "the road less traveled," the one leading us to a wider view of space, satellites and our quest for the dwelling of light we call "The Truth." This episode features one of the great untold stories in our industry, provided to us by our guest, podcast host Joanne Higgins.

Host Joanne Higgins worked in film and TV production for 13 years as a production coordinator and associate producer. Later, she transitioned into the construction industry, co-owning a company that developed and built single-family homes across LA. She's a lifelong Angeleno, growing up in Compton and attending Cal State Long Beach. She spent her childhood hearing her godfather talk about working on the Apollo program. Concerned that this unique legacy could be forgotten, she began a journey to record and capture their experiences as a first-time podcast host.

In this episode of She Reaches, host Tanveer Pujara speaks with Benedetta Cattani, the visionary Founder, CEO, and CTO of Ecosmic. From her beginnings as a graduate trainee to a member of an all-female startup team, Benedetta's journey is one of purpose, persistence, and passion for space sustainability. She shares how Ecosmic is turning the challenge of space debris into an opportunity for innovation—and how their commercial solution is helping ensure the future of space remains safe and accessible.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a space enthusiast, or simply curious about the people shaping the space industry, Benedetta's story offers insight, inspiration, and a fresh perspective from a first-time founder working to make an out-of-this-world impact.

In this Better Satellite World podcast, based on the May 2025 edition of the New York Space Business Roundtable, leaders from Pixxel, Dhruva Space, TMT Law Practice, VegaMX, and the US-India Business Council have a candid conversation about opportunity, access, and alignment in India's rapidly growing space sector. Our speakers include:

• Chetan Bikkina, Chief Commercial Officer, Dhruva Space Private Limited
• Jay Gullish, Executive Director, Digital Policy, U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC)
• Abhishek Malhotra, Senior Advocate, Chamber of Abhishek Malhotra
• Vivek Mital, CEO, VegaMX Inc.
• Aakash Parekh, Chief Commercial Officer, Pixxel

India is rapidly transforming its space sector, moving from a government-led model dominated by ISRO to a new era of public-private collaboration and global engagement. Recent policy reforms - including liberalized FDI caps, the launch of IN-SPACe as a commercial regulator, and the Indian Space Policy 2023 - are opening doors for private enterprise and international investment. At the same time, Indian companies are stepping into global supply chains, developing satellite constellations, launch vehicles, and Earth observation capabilities that are redefining India's position in the global space economy. Yet, foreign participation still requires careful navigation of regulatory, legal, and strategic frameworks shaped by India's evolving priorities.

Space is changing fast. Commercial activity is accelerating. Talent needs are shifting. Orbits are filling. And with the growing threat of Kessler Syndrome, long-term access to space may become more constrained than ever before. In this SSPI-WISE Presents podcast, based on the panel conducted at the May 1 meeting of SSPI-WISE, we hear a roundtable discussion between Donya Naz Divsalar, (incoming) Head of Future Projects at Magdrive; Elizabeth Kennick, President, Teachers In Space, Inc. and Genna Ng, Venture Partner, Beyond Earth Technologies and Co-Founder, Singapore Space Network.

In this Better Satellite World podcast, SSPI's Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with Ed Fox, Chief Technology Officer at MetTel. They explore one of the hot topics of the industry: the convergence of the telecom and satellite industries and what that may spell for the future.

Ed Fox is MetTel's technology leader, responsible for the planning, deployment, and operations of MetTel's broadband, data, and VoIP network infrastructure. He is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and a contributing author for IDG influencer network. Ed has over 30 years of telecommunications and network experience managing massive organizational and customer growth at major telecommunications providers.