The Space Hour

New research from Wokelo, a Gen-AI-powered investment research platform, reveals that the space economy and commercialized space tech are quietly becoming investor hot spots, with funding rounds accelerating and valuations soaring. It exceeded $3 billion in funding in 2021 and continues to attract investors, even from characters you may not have seen venture off into this area before. To explain, I spoke with Siddhant Masson, Co-founder and CEO at Wokelo.

https://insights.wokelo.ai/unobvious-sectors-that-will-skyrocket-in-2025-a-data-driven-deep-dive/

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Now in it's 5th year of existence, the U.S. Space Force continues to make advancements and investments in defense network connectivity and joint space operation. The availability of data gathered in space has grown exponentially during that time period as well. In order to be able to access it and maintain operational capabilities, it requires a lot of interoperability. One company working on that with the Space Force is Sev1Tech, where my guest, Michael Fry, is general manager of its air and space force division.

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Cloud cover can be a disruptor for satellites trying to get a good view of Earth, no matter how big your constellation is. One company though is executing a workaround.  It launched a new satellite on a SpaceX transporter this past winter, with the capability of seeing through the clouds and darkness, using advanced radar technology. That company is ICEYE, and it actually starting using this technology back in 2015 to to monitor hazardous ice features such as pack ice. It's now though going to help governments monitor global events and natural disasters. To find out more, we welcomed to the program Eric Jensen, who is CEO of ICEYE US.

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For the second year in a row, the Space Beach Law Lab kicks off this week right off the coast of Long Beach, California. It will feature dozens of space law experts, provided needed insights. Since we all know, as more money pours in to the commercial space industry, that means a need for more legal experts. To learn more about the event I had the pleasure of talking to Drea Bernardi who is a founding partner of Space Beach Law Lab.

https://www.spacelawlab.com/

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The non-profit organization Universities Space Research Association recently welcomed in a new leader. Dr. Elsayed Talaat is now serving as the organization's President and CEO. You've probably heard that acronym brought up on this program before, because it has served as a great catalyst for research projects and educational initiatives within the space community. and therefor, a good source for interesting radio segments. That turned out to be the case with Dr. Talaat, who I got the chance to speak with to find out a little more about his background, and what he hopes to achieve in this new role.

https://www.usra.edu/people/dr-elsayed-talaat/

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The space industry is a unique arena. Though highly competitive, there is a ton of collaboration between different companies and stakeholders. One of the reasons for that is due to organizations like The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or SPACE ISAC for short. It just announced a new feature for it's participating members, access to Accelerating Space Capabilities 100, which serves as an international federated network of Testbeds and Proving Grounds. This will ensure they have access to credentialed testing facilities across the U.S. and international partner nations, that provide both physical and digital Testbeds and Proving Grounds environments which simulate space operating conditions. To find out what that could mean for their members, I spoke with Erin Miller, who is Executive Director at Space ISAC, as well as Laurie Gordon, Director for the Space Enterprise Evolution Directorate at the Aerospace Corporation, which is a founding member.

https://spaceisac.org/space-isac-enhancing-membership-benefits-with-access-to-new-testbeds-and-proving-grounds-network/

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Venus, Earth’s sister planet, perplexes scientists with its contrasting evolution. Devoid of active plate tectonics and enveloped in a thick atmosphere causing a runaway greenhouse effect, it stands as an enigma. One scientist has recently tackled the question as to why Venus followed a drastically different evolutionary path. To learn more about what he found out, I had the chance to chat with Matt Weller, Urey Fellow, Lunar and Planetary Institute at the Universities Space Research Association.

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A contract from the Space Force's Space Systems Command looks to further develop technology that's able to detect GPS jamming and spoofing activities more precisely. The awardee, Slingshot Aerospace, says that it's AI model Agatha, which typically helps identify anomalous spacecraft within large satellite constellations, can be utilized here to snuff out GPS disruptors. To find out just how it works, I spoke with Dylan Kessler who is SlingShot's VP of AI and Data Science.

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Earlier this year, Odysseus became the first U.S. venture to land on the moon in 50 years since the Apollo missions of the 1970s. Software companies worked with NASA to build, launch, and land a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon. A DevSecOps approach using GitLab made it possible to build the spacecraft in just five years, with the ability to patch code 250,000 miles away. Technologies have evolved immensely since the 70s, and today, software plays a major role in supporting all elements involved in a successful landing. To find more out, I spoke to Joel Krooswyk, Federal CTO for GitLab.

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Earlier this year, Odysseus became the first U.S. venture to land on the moon in 50 years since the Apollo missions of the 1970s. Software companies worked with NASA to build, launch, and land a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon. A DevSecOps approach using GitLab made it possible to build the spacecraft in just five years, with the ability to patch code 250,000 miles away. Technologies have evolved immensely since the 70s, and today, software plays a major role in supporting all elements involved in a successful landing. To find more out, I spoke to Joel Krooswyk, Federal CTO for GitLab.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.