In this episode of Satellite, Space & Defence Matters brought to you by neuco, hosts Callum Davis and Laurie Scott are joined by the full executive team of Finland's Aurora Propulsion Technologies: CEO Pekka Blomberg, Commercial Lead & CCO Aziza Ibrayeva, and CTO & Co-Founder Perttu Yli-Opas.

Together they unpack how a university hybrid-rocket project became a company building the smallest water-based resistojet thrusters on the market, and why the defence and dual-use wave sweeping European space has caught up to exactly what Aurora has been building since 2018.

The conversation moves from Aurora's founding story through the "space kettle" mechanics of water propulsion, the strategic shift toward defence and dual-use positioning, and what the next five years hold as propulsion becomes a standard and regulated requirement for satellites of every size.

Key topics covered:

● How three very different career paths, propulsion engineering, defence and cybersecurity, and hospitality/sales converged at Aurora

● The founding insight: more than 90% of CubeSats fly with no propulsion at all, and why that's a market rather than a limitation

● Balancing startup agility against the space industry's demand for years-long reliability testing

● How COVID and Starlink's mega-constellations pushed space sustainability from academic niche to mainstream priority

● The defence and dual-use pivot, why a satellite without propulsion is "a sitting duck," and how water propulsion enables rendezvous, proximity operations and collision avoidance

● Shorter sales cycles and a defence market newly open to startups

● Redundancy and resilience: a fully dual-redundant propellant system inside a 1U CubeSat form factor

● The cybersecurity parallel, how securing space mirrors the rise of cyber 15 years ago, plus the sovereignty drive across nations and regions

● Navigating fragmented national regulations and the slow road to EU space law

● Why small, agile companies are the industry's true innovators

● What water resistojets actually are: the "space kettle" explained

● Water's versatility, resistojets, electrolysis, Hall-effect thrusters, and the path to in-orbit refuelling

● Ground-logistics advantages: shipping pre-fuelled, weld-sealed systems instead of fuelling at the launch site

● Differentiation through customer service and Finnish on-time engineering discipline

● The next five years: propulsion and mobility becoming standard and mandatory

Guest bios:

Pekka Blomberg - CEO. An experienced industrial business leader and certified board member, Pekka spent a long career across defence and security, latterly in cybersecurity, before joining Aurora roughly two years ago. He leads the company's transition from a technology-development project into a commercial product business with a strong sales and customer focus.

Aziza Ibrayeva - Commercial Lead & CCO. Aziza came into space "by accident" from the travel and hospitality industry in Finland, joining a smaller space startup that valued sales experience over a space background. She drives Aurora's commercial strategy and customer relationships, is currently completing an MBA, and founded the consultancy CELSTRAT.

Perttu Yli-Opas - CTO & Co-Founder. Perttu co-founded Aurora out of a university hybrid-rocket project at Aalto University, where he founded and led Aalto Propulsion and chaired the Aalto AI Society. He is the technical architect behind Aurora's miniaturised water resistojet systems.

This episode of Satellite, Space & Defence Matters is brought to you by neuco.

In episode 62 of Satellite, Space & Defence Matters, hosts Gia Thomas and Tom Wilding sit down with Dr Stephen Prior, founder of Hybrid Drones, for a story that runs from a DARPA competition win to one of the most capable heavy-lift drones in the UK, by way of a deeply personal beginning.

Stephen discusses how a friendship with a rocket-propulsion colleague became a company, why competitions are the real test of any technology, what UK defence funding actually feels like for a five-person firm, and how the Hydra 400 is moving from R&D into commercial reality.

About the guest: Dr Stephen Prior spent close to three decades in academia, including 13 years teaching aeronautical engineering at the University of Southampton, before founding Hybrid Drones in 2019. His teams have a strong competition pedigree, including winning the DARPA UAV Forge competition in 2012. He now leads a five-person British company building the Hydra 400 - a hybrid jet-electric heavy-lift drone with a 400kg payload - backed by S Ventures and in strategic partnership with MBDA.

Key topics covered:

• The origin story behind Hybrid Drones and the late Dr Angelo Grubišić
• Why competitions beat simulations as the true test of any UAV system
• Building and hiring for a five-person firm competing against defence primes
• Use cases: wildfire response, casualty evacuation, high-rise rescue, reforestation, and resupply — roughly 50/50 defence and civilian
• The Hydra 400's evolution from a 100kg test-bed to a 400kg payload system, and why hybrid jet-electric beat batteries and hydrogen
• UK defence funding realities: Innovate UK, MBDA partnership, and the ambition to build a £100m British drone company
• The path to global commercial sales from ~2027
• Advice for anyone entering the drone industry

About neuco

This podcast is brought to you in association with neuco, a global recruitment and executive search firm specialising in satellite, space, and defence.

neuco connects exceptional talent, from mid-senior professionals to C-suite leaders, with the innovative, forward-thinking organisations shaping the future of these industries.

Whether you're a candidate looking for your next opportunity or an organisation seeking the people who will define your next chapter, neuco brings the expertise, network, and insight to make the right connections happen.

Laura LeMasurier and Clara Britton share how SES is building an inclusive, growth-driven culture following the merger with Intelsat. They discuss the four core values guiding the new SES, how the company fosters psychological safety and encourages smart risk-taking, what great leadership looks like in this transformation, and why diversity of thought is critical to innovation. This episode reveals the human side of SES's bold technological transformation. 

Key Topics Covered 

• Four core values: We've Got Your Back, We Are Better Every Day, We Bring Big Ideas, We Thrive as One 

• Psychological safety: Creating space to fail fast, learn faster, and apply learnings across the organisation 

• Skills-based organisation: Building connections around shared passions and capabilities 

• Wellness investment: Headspace access, menopause awareness training, and culture workshops 

• Talent DNA: Looking for people who move to action, take smart risks, and have a growth mindset 

Memorable Quotes 

"The merger has given us space to rethink how we should work and what we should be working on. We're empowering people to move from waterfall to agile, to embrace innovative sprints where we can move to action." 

"We're looking for a real DNA: move to action, take accountability, apply the learning when something doesn't go as planned, take smart risks. Folks coming into SES want to make bold steps and want space to feel safe doing so." 

"It's not about geography, it's about connection and psychological safety. Being able to express who we are at work and have those open conversations. 360 feedback is really powerful here at SES." 

About the Guests 

Laura LeMasurier leads people and talent strategy at SES, shaping the cultural transformation following the Intelsat merger. She's passionate about creating psychologically safe environments where people can experiment, fail fast, and learn faster. Laura champions diversity of thought and believes in bringing different perspectives from other industries to drive innovation. In her past life, she was 'DJ Wizard,' mastering the art of recording radio charts in the 80s. Her go-to karaoke song is Evanescence's 'Wake Me Up Inside.' 

Clara Britton works in talent and organisational development at SES, focusing on building the company's values-driven culture. She's early in her career but already understands the power of connection and learning from passionate people across all levels. Clara emphasises the importance of well-being and gathering diverse experiences from colleagues. She finds her happy place hiking in the forest on weekends and believes strongly in the value of cross-functional relationships. 

About neuco

neuco is a global recruitment and executive search firm specialising in the Satellite, Space and Defence industry.

Miquel Albiol takes us deep into payload innovation at SES, from digital beamforming technology enabling LEO-to-MIO data relay to the challenges of flying 5G base stations in space. He discusses how RF system requirements evolve across orbital regimes, the importance of engineers focusing on ultimate customer value, and exciting developments in optical communications, AI on-board processing, and software-defined satellites. This episode offers a technical deep-dive into the future of space communications. 

Key Topics Covered 

• Digital beamforming breakthrough: Enabling LEO-to-MIO data relay for customer data 

• 5G in space: The challenge of flying 5G base stations on every satellite 

• RF evolution: How getting closer to Earth shifts focus from amplification to spectrum management 

• Optical communications: Introducing hundreds of gigabits per second data transport in space 

• Career advice: Don't focus excessively on standards - challenge them when they don't serve customer value 

Memorable Quotes

"Last week we performed the first contact of LEO-MIO data relay. Our customer data is flying on board the LEO satellite and downloading through MIO to ground. That's possible thanks to digital beamforming technology." 

"The best engineers never lose focus of the ultimate objective: providing good service and maximizing value to your customers. Always challenge the requirements thinking about the ultimate objective." 

"Don't focus too much on meeting standards and following the rules. Use standards if they benefit you and the customer. In traditional space, meeting standards was maxima. If I had challenged that more, I would have delivered better products faster." 

About the Guest

Miquel Albiol leads Space Systems and Payload Development at SES, where he's pushing the boundaries of what's possible in space communications. His expertise spans RF systems, digital beamforming, optical communications, and software-defined satellites. Miquel is passionate about challenging traditional aerospace standards when they don't serve ultimate customer objectives. He finds his happy place along the Mediterranean coast - Spain, France, Italy, or Greece - and enjoys Spanish music, particularly Arrutina. 

In the third instalment of Forward Focus: The Future of SES, we speak with Alberto Patrizi, who shares insights on program planning in the new space era.

With a wealth of experience across traditional and modern space programs, he explores how agile methodologies and visual management techniques are transforming project delivery at SES. This episode dives into risk management, team empowerment, and the entrepreneurial mindset needed to succeed in fast-paced space environments.

Key Topics Covered:

●     Agile project management in space: Moving from rigid work breakdown structures to empowered macro-area teams

●     Visual management techniques: Using war rooms and post-it timelines to drive accountability

●     Risk mitigation strategies: Making risk management everyone's responsibility, not just the PM's job

●     Collaborative design approach: Sharing needs instead of requirements with suppliers and subsystem teams

●     Leadership qualities: Balancing entrepreneurial drive with active listening and team empowerment

Memorable Quotes:

"The team feel protagonist, rather than just an actor.They feel much more engaged."

"Mistakes are an opportunity. When risks occur, it's notreally a failure, it is a lesson learned."

"A very good project manager is the one who is able toput the team in the best condition to deliver."

About the guest:

Alberto Patrizi is a Technical Program Manager at SES withextensive experience in both traditional and new space programs.

His career spans aerospace and space systems, where he's developed expertise in agile project management, risk mitigation, and team leadership. Alberto is passionateabout empowering teams and creating environments where innovation thrives.

Outside of work, he enjoys golf and values time with his family.

Neel Kunjur, Co-founder and CTO of K2 Space, reveals how his company is breaking the historic correlation between satellite mass and cost.

In this episode, he shares K2's engineering philosophy of using mass as an opportunity rather than a constraint, the importance of iteration in constellation deployment, and why SES's pioneering approach to MEO operations makes them the perfect partner. Plus, hear the remarkable story of how his space career hinged on an SES launch.

Key Topics Covered:

- Breaking the mass-cost paradigm: How K2 enables large, capable satellites at small satellite prices

- Engineering mindset shift: Viewing mass as an opportunity to simplify rather than a constraint to minimize

- Iteration philosophy: Moving from decadal to annual deployment cadence for continuous improvement

- SES innovation history: First major operator to adopt Falcon 9, first to commit to MEO operations

- Leadership lessons: The importance of finding ground truth and staying connected to product details

Memorable Quotes:

"We think customers shouldn't have to choose. We think large sats that are low cost is the new regime we should be playing in."

"The way you're able to do this is by a complete mindset shift. Start viewing mass as an opportunity. Use mass to make heavier systems that are simpler, easier to produce, faster to produce."

"My entire space career was hinging on that launch. SES-8 on Falcon 9 was their first launch, and I'm so grateful to SES because that's why I'm here today."

About the Guest:

Neel Kunjur is Co-founder and CTO of K2 Space, a company revolutionising satellite manufacturing by breaking the traditional mass-cost curve.

Previously at SpaceX, his career literally hinged on the success of SES-8, the first SES launch on Falcon 9. Neel is passionate about challenging assumptions in spacecraft design and enabling the next generation of satellite constellations. He finds his happy place in his childhood home in Chicago, especially during the summer months, and is a big Blink-182 fan.

In our first episode of Forward Focus: The Future of SES, Carmel Ortiz discusses SES's bold investment in the next-generation MEO constellation - the neosphere.

With over 30 years of engineering leadership experience, she explores how the merger with Intelsat creates unique opportunities, how partnerships like K2 Space accelerate innovation, and why medium Earth orbit offers the perfect balance of capability and sustainability. This episode reveals the strategic vision behind SES's network transformation.

Key Topics Covered

The neosphere vision: Building a network, not just a constellation, that continuously evolves

• Strategic partnerships: How K2 Space brings a fresh mindset and methodology to accelerate innovation
• MEO advantages: Tens of satellites vs tens of thousands, with better sustainability profile
• Innovation culture: Giving teams freedom to create, debate, and try bold ideas
• Talent strategy: Balancing deep experience with growth mindset and audacious thinking

Memorable Quotes

"We need to figure out how to not just survive, but also thrive. We really need to transform."

"Just being in K2's environment and seeing how they deal with things, how they make decisions, how they push the envelope and don't accept the status quo - it really helps us change how we think about things."

"It's not just about connectivity anymore. Whether it's built on LEO, MEO, GEO, or terrestrial network, RF or optical comms - those are all just elements to building this neosphere network."

About the Guest

Carmel Ortiz is Senior Vice President of MEO Constellation Programs at SES, bringing over 30 years of engineering leadership across telecommunications, satellite, and digital media. She's spearheading SES's next-generation constellation strategy following the historic merger with Intelsat.

Carmel is known for her strategic vision, customer-centric approach, and passion for building high-performing teams. She's a dog lover who has raised seven pugs throughout her marriage, and enjoys Springsteen - especially 'Rosalita.'

#SES #SatelliteConnectivity #SpaceTechnology #MEO #LeadershipInTech

Join Millie Hall and Tom Wilding for an in-depth conversation with Mike-Alec Kearney, CEO and Co-Founder of CubeSpace, as he shares the story of building a globally recognised satellite subsystems company from university research.

With more than a decade of flight heritage, CubeSpace has delivered over 4,600 standalone products and more than 470 mission-tailored systems to more than 290 customers across 30 countries. Its specialist focus on attitude determination and control systems has made CubeSpace a leader in the new space market.

In this episode, Mike-Alec discusses three critical themes: his founding journey from accidental space engineer to obsessive problem-solver; CubeSpace’s strategic approach to vertical integration and why specialisation wins; and the company’s people-first culture shaped through servant leadership and vulnerability.

Discover why organisations that tried doing everything themselves returned as customers, and how a decade of bootstrapping kept CubeSpace centred on customer needs. Mike-Alec offers candid insights on sustainable culture, operating without investor pressure, and the shift that happens when leaders show vulnerability.

Key Topics

• Accidental path into space entrepreneurship
• Why vertical integration is not always best
• Specialisation beats doing everything yourself
• Bootstrapped growth keeps customer focus sharp
• Servant leadership creates sustainable teamwork
• Vulnerability transforms defensive conversations into collaboration
• Culture requires intentional systems and daily practice

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:20 Mike-Alec’s Journey into the Space Industry
04:35 Challenges and Growth at CubeSpace
13:19 Leadership and Industry Insights
23:30 Specialised Control Systems and Customisability
25:39 Customer Support and Simulation Programs
30:29 European Expansion and Strategic Goals
33:42 Talent Management and Company Culture

About Our Guest

Mike-Alec Kearney is the CEO and Co-Founder of CubeSpace, a leading provider of attitude determination and control systems for small satellites. Founded straight out of university, the company has grown into a multimillion pound, globally recognised supplier through bootstrapped, customer-led development. CubeSpace serves government agencies, high-tech R&D organisations, and commercial constellation operators worldwide.

Website: www.cubespace.co.za

The Satellite and NewSpace Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a global recruitment agency that specialises in sourcing brilliant people for groundbreaking companies.

Join hosts Annie Savage and Thomas Brownbill as they sit down with Robyn Ringuette, President at AstroForge – a Californian startup pioneering the extraction of valuable metals from asteroids to build a sustainable space-based supply chain.

With more than 25 years of technical and managerial experience in aerospace, Robyn has helped lead some of the industry’s most ambitious programmes. From his early work as employee 72 at SpaceX, physically building Falcon 1 rocket engines shoulder to shoulder with technicians, to his leadership roles at Rocketdyne, Virgin Orbit, and GXO, he’s been at the forefront of turning high-risk concepts into operational reality.

In this episode, Robyn shares his journey from a childhood fascination with space to shaping the future of deep space resource utilisation. He reflects on the emotional toll of early launch failures, the weight of responsibility in aerospace engineering, and how lessons from transitioning government programmes to commercial operations inform his approach at AstroForge today.

Episode Highlights:

• The precarious early days at SpaceX and physically building Falcon 1
• Why space work demands serious responsibility beyond the excitement
• Lessons learned from transitioning government programmes to commercial operations
• The difference between working at large aerospace companies vs startups
• Hiring strategy and building diverse teams in competitive markets
• Practical advice on hardware redundancy and maintaining technological control
• Why Carl Sagan’s inspiration matters more than technical skills alone

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:15 Robyn’s Journey into the Space Industry
05:50 Early Days at SpaceX
14:10 Leadership Lessons and AstroForge’s Mission
28:25 In-House Operations and Risk Mitigation
29:10 Debunking the Magic of Space Exploration
31:52 Big Companies vs. Small Startups
36:56 Hiring Talent at AstroForge

About Our Guest:
Robyn Ringuette is President of AstroForge, where he leads the company’s strategy, execution, and growth in deep space resource utilisation. With a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and additional programmes completed at the Moscow Aviation Institute and the University of Southern California, he brings a rare blend of technical depth and operational leadership. Robyn also serves on the boards of advisors for USC’s Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and ERAU’s College of Engineering.

Website: https://www.astroforge.com

The Satellite & NewSpace Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a global recruitment agency that sources brilliant people for groundbreaking companies.

Join us as we explore how Michael Bartholomeusz, CEO of NOVI, is revolutionising the earth observation industry by making satellite data affordable and accessible to organisations and individuals worldwide.

Throughout the episode, Michael shares his fascinating journey from working on the US Space Shuttle programme to leading a pioneering earth observation company.

Key topics covered include:

• How NOVI's space edge computing reduces costs by two orders of magnitude - from £150,000 to just £1,500 for equivalent services
• The innovative VISTA platform creating an open-access marketplace for earth observation applications
• Why moving compute power to space is transforming the industry economics
• Building NOVI's constellation of 40 smart satellites for daily global coverage
• The potential for an "app store" model in satellite data services
• Ethical considerations around democratised satellite surveillance capabilities

Listen along for valuable insights on building multidisciplinary teams in NewSpace, leadership lessons from diverse tech industries, and how NOVI's approach could unlock entirely new use cases for earth observation data across agriculture, logistics, maritime monitoring, and beyond.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

00:33 Meet Michael Bar, CEO of Novi

01:50 Michael's Journey into the Space Industry

03:47 Career Highlights and Leadership Lessons

10:15 Novi's Mission and Innovations

21:17 Challenges and Ethical Considerations

26:14 Talent and Culture at Novi

33:47 Quickfire Round and Conclusion

About our guest:

Michael Bartholomeusz brings extensive experience as a global CEO and technology leader across multiple industries including advanced materials, electronics, renewables, and space.

Having worked on the US Space Shuttle programme early in his career, he now leads NOVI in their mission to make earth observation data accessible through innovative space edge computing solutions.

Website: https://www.novispace.ai/

The Satellite & NewSpace Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a global recruitment agency that specialises in sourcing brilliant people for groundbreaking companies.