TerraWatch Space Podcast

Today, I am speaking with Namrata Goswami, a strategic analyst and consultant on space policy, international relations, great power politics and alternate futures. Namrata has authored a number of books on those topics with the latest one focusing on the second space race titled, "Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space", co-authored with Peter Garrettson.

In this episode, Namrata and I discuss all things geopolitics and how it is very relevant in the world of space. We touch upon topics including whether there is a cold war brewing between the US and China, the role of Russia, India, Japan and Europe in the global space race and the emergence of the spacefaring nations in the Middle East.

Today, I am speaking with Pierre Lionnet, the Research & Managing Director at Eurospace, the trade association of the European space manufacturing industry. Pierre is an economist with more than 25 years of experience in the space industry, and a well-known expert on space markets.

In this episode, Pierre and I discuss what is NewSpace, recent developments in the launch sector, launcher economics particularly focusing on the micro launcher segment, meaning small-lift launch vehicles capable of lifting up to 2,000 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Being an experienced analyst, Pierre provides a realistic assessment of the recent developments in the launch sector.

Today, I have a very interesting guest, one who wears 3 different hats - a self-proclaimed space enthusiast, a venture capitalist and a space entrepreneur, Delian Asparouhov.

Delian is a Principal at Founders Fund, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that has invested in SpaceX, Palantir, Facebook, Airbnb and more. Delian also recently cofounded Varda Space Technologies that is building factories in space in order to manufacture products for use on Earth.

In this episode, Delian and I talk about his story, how he juggles multiple roles and his perspectives on the space industry including the recent phenomenon of SPACs. I also got to hear some of his plans for Varda and how he sees in-space manufacturing evolving over the next few years.

Today, I am speaking with Laura Seward Forcyzk. Laura is the owner of space consulting firm Astralytical specializing in space science, industry, and policy, and also offering space career coaching services.

In this episode, we discuss a lot of exciting topics including when are we going to be space tourists, how much do we need to save for going to space and whether we will start going to space for a vacation. We also talk about the use of stratospheric balloons for space tourism, the effects of going to space on the human body as well as the importance of space for Earth.

Our guest today is Jeff Crusey, a venture capital investor at Seraphim Capital that invests predominantly in space tech. Seraphim has invested in many startups across space domains including Spire, Iceye, D-Orbit as well as AST & Science.

In this episode, Jeff provides his perspectives on the space industry, including the recent developments in space tech and the applications of space technologies for Earth. We discuss how big of a problem space debris is and how companies are using innovative technologies to tackle it. Jeff also has some interesting thoughts on what the space industry could do better - to tell better stories with a bigger vision.

This episode is all about investing in space. Our guest today is Andrew Lapham, the CEO of Northern Private Capital, a private equity firm based in Canada. In 2019, Northern Private Capital acquired MDA, the Canadian aerospace company, from Maxar Technologies of the US, for a deal valued at about 1 billion Canadian dollars.

In this episode, Andrew provides an investor's perspective on the space industry. As an outsider who ventured into space by investing in MDA, Andrew has some interesting insights on the recent trends in space tech including Earth observation, launchers, robotics and space exploration. He also some thoughts on the recent phenomenon of SPACs in the space industry as well as suggestions for investors exploring opportunities in space tech.

In this first episode, I am stoked to have Joe Morrison on the podcast to talk about all things Earth Observation - the domain of space tech related to collecting data about the Earth through sensors in satellites.

Welcome to the TerraWatch Space podcast. This is Aravind. In this podcast, I will attempt to decode what is going on in the space industry, by interviewing thought leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, space professionals and more, to get their perspectives..