The Space Hour

The European Union is taking on a larger role in space, expanding beyond economic and scientific initiatives into areas like security, industrial policy, and strategic autonomy. Michael Gleason, Senior Policy Analyst at The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy, joined me earlier to discuss how the EU’s space ambitions are evolving and what that means for Europe’s relationship with the global space community.

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As commercial satellites become increasingly critical to communications, defense, and infrastructure, lawmakers and industry leaders are debating how to strengthen cybersecurity standards for space systems. To find out bore about the challenges of regulating satellite cybersecurity, the limits of voluntary standards, and why compliance alone doesn’t necessarily mean systems are secure, I spoke with Tom Pace, CEO of NetRise.

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Silent Shield is Deloitte's ongoing project to create a low impact way to ensure the cybersecurity of satellites, both modern and legacy. Last year, I had the privilege of speaking with Ryan Roberts, a principal with Deloitte about the undertaking. I recently welcomed him back to program to get an update on the project, and what they've been able to learn so far.

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From the Artemis launch and ongoing NASA missions to a surge in small business innovation and dual-use technologies, Florida’s Space Coast has seen rapid growth and increasing collaboration across its space and defense ecosystem in recent years. Two years ago, I got the chance to have a conversation about how the region has evolved into a hub of activity connecting government, industry, and startups—and what that momentum means for the future of the community. Returning to give us an update, Tony Brown, the now outgoing leader of the AFCEA Space Coast chapter.

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With Artemis 2 now completed, sending Humans past Earth’s orbit for the first time since Apollo. Artemis 2 departs from recent decades of robotic missions and puts astronauts at the center of a new chapter in space exploration. To get a sense on the impact this had on those currently in the space field, as well as the astronomers of tomorrow, I welcomed to the program Antonio Peronace, executive director of the organization Space for Humanity.

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The US Government is moving forward with the MagQuest Challenge by sending SBQuantum’s diamond quantum magnetometer into orbit recently. The new sensor will measure Earth’s magnetic field in real time and support updated magnetic field mapping. To learn more about this new tool, I got the chance to speak with David Roy-Guay, SBQuantum's founder and CEO.

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The intersection of intellectual property law and dual-use technology is taking on greater importance for aerospace startups seeking to serve both commercial and government customers. Leading intellectual property attorneys have advised government and commercial aerospace organizations in many deals now over the past year. One of them, Tom Cowan, a partner at Knobbes Marten, joined me to discuss how startups developing technology for sale to both private industry and government agencies face a significantly different legal environment from companies operating solely in the commercial sector.

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We start today with Artemis of course. The monumental event has left the commercial space community buzzing. We had our own man on the ground near the action, or we borrowed one at least. While several Artemis team members bring military and academic backgrounds that reflect a long‑term federal investment in advanced education. Observers say the mission highlights how institutions like the Naval Postgraduate School translate classroom learning into real‑world mission execution. Joining Federal Drive host Terry Gerton earlier from mission control in Houston, science writer with the Naval Postgraduate School, Dan Linehan.

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The launch of Rubin Observatory's alert system marks a breakthrough in astrophysics, giving scientists a real‑time stream of changes across the sky, from brightening stars to newly spotted asteroids. It’s one of the final steps before the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, which will scan the southern sky every night for a decade with unprecedented precision. Dr. Bob Blum joined Federal Drive host Terry Gerton to share why this moment is so scientifically—and cosmically—exciting.

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When I ask you to name the most important figures for human space travel, who's the first person that pops in your head? I'm going to bet it wasn't Robert H. Goddard. Well a new book makes the case that that shouldn't be the case. Robert Goddard's Massachusetts tells the story of the man who created the first liquid fuel rocket, along with his other accomplishments that eventually helped shape the space travel we see today. I recently got the chance to speak with the author of the book, Kevin Schindler, who is a historian for Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/robert-goddards-massachusetts-9781467163149?srsltid=AfmBOorLz-1VnAibK3pc-mO7G7Li88IsnuVl9KiL4lqlh8NvW3_gQNBQ

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