The Space Industry

Episode 34 of the Space Industry podcast is a discussion with Kshitij Khandelwal, founder and CTO of Pixxel, about procurement in today's space industry. We cover:

• What upstream manufacturers look for in new potential suppliers
• How to work with prospective clients to ensure your proposals are effectively assessed
• Lead times and logistics considerations in the modern industry
• What's on the horizon for Pixxel's constellation and business

You can find out more about Pixxel here on their website.

And if you would like to learn more about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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In this episode I speak with Maciej Ziaja, Machine Learning Software Engineer at satsearch member company KP Labs https://satsearch.com/suppliers/kplabs.

KP Labs is a Poland-based company offering AI computers and software to bring autonomy to demanding space missions. In the podcast we discuss:

• The factors driving the increase in adoption of on-board data processing (OBDP) and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities on satellites
• Examples of how algorithms and processing tools can support different missions
• Advice on how to integrate hardware and software for AI use
• Predictions on where such advances could take NewSpace in years to come

You can find out more about KP Labs here on their satsearch supplier hub.

And if you would like to learn more about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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Episode 33 of the Space Industry podcast is a discussion with Laura Crabtree, CEO of Epsilon3 - a US-based provider of mission and engineering operations software.

In the podcast we discuss:

• Commercial drivers in the human spaceflight (HSF) sector
• The economic impacts of commercial providers on NASA's future missions
• How the various proposed private space stations are contributing to HSF demand
• Predictions on the evolution of the market in years to come

You can find out more about Epsilon3 here on their satsearch supplier hub.

And if you would like to learn more about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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In this episode I speak to Alexander Telle, CEO of satsearch member ACM Coatings GmbH of Acktar Ltd. ACM Coatings specializes in ultra-black coatings and foils that improve the efficiency and performance of optical equipment.

In this episode we discuss how coatings can be used to suppress stray light, and reduce noise and reflections, as well as how to integrate them into space equipment for missions. We cover:

• How black coatings are leveraged in space missions
• Qualification and testing requirements for NewSpace missions
• What satellite camera manufacturers need to consider in order to enhance optical performance
• Recommendations for designers of star trackers and other optical sensors for satellites

You can find out more about ACM and Acktar here on their satsearch supplier hub.

And if you would like to learn more about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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In this episode I speak to Michele Pergola, product manager at satsearch member Dimac Red.

Dimac Red is a global professional sales organization with a focus on providing high-reliability electronic components for the space sector.

In this episode we discuss the procurement of such components and what factors engineers need to weigh up during selection. We cover:

• Balancing performance and risk, as well as costs, in mission design
• Upscreening and qualifying electronic components for use in space
• How the value chain (from wafer fab to assembly site) impacts the final design
• The future of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) usage in space missions

You can find out more about Dimac Red here on their satsearch supplier hub.

And if you would like to learn about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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In this episode Hywel speaks with Michael Seidl, Systems Engineer for space applications at Texas Instruments.

Texas Instruments is a global manufacturer of semiconductors, integrated circuits, and other electronic components, with headquarters in Dallas, Texas, in the US.

The company has a suite of products for the defense, aerospace, and space sectors, and in this show we talk about how NewSpace engineers can balance risk, quality, and price during component procurement. We discuss:

• How engineers can get the highest cost-to-performance for electronic components
• Approaches to qualifying parts and components to improve mission integration
• The effects of the value chain, from wafer fab to final assembly, on risk and quality
• The potential for adapting and utilizing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

You can find out more about Texas Instruments here on their satsearch supplier hub.

And if you would like to learn about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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In this episode we speak with Zdravko Dimitrov, CEO of Sfera Technologies.

Sfera is a Bulgarian NewSpace company that develops technologies to integrate satellite data systems. In the podcast we discuss:

• Uses of blockchain in the space industry, particularly in the ground segment
• The existing bottlenecks in ground station services
• The changes to practices, hardware, and software that blockchain technology would require
• How operators may be encouraged to introduce blockchain into existing systems

You can find out more about Sfera Technologies here on their satsearch supplier hub.

And if you would like to learn about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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In this episode we speak to Laura Crabtree Epsilon3 is a California, USA, based space software developer that creates tools to better communicate and manage operational procedures.

The team includes engineering and design professionals from Northrop, Google, and SpaceX, with experience that includes first-hand operational management of sending American astronauts to the ISS.

In the podcast we discuss how improved team communication and project lifecycle management can result in better engineering outcomes and help avoid mission failure. We cover:

• The gaps that can exist between designers and operators
• The impacts of a lack of procedure tracking on space missions
• How to improve team communication, and why this is important
• Examples of missions and services that benefit from enhanced operations management

You can find out more about Epsilon3 here on their satsearch supplier hub.

And if you would like to learn about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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In this episode we speak to Marco Pavan, CEO and co-founder of satsearch member SteamJet Space Systems.

SteamJet Space Systems is a small satellite propulsion system manufacturer based in the UK specializing in electrothermal water-based propulsion for CubeSats.

In the podcast we discuss:

• The current maturity level of electrothermal water-based propulsion technologies
• Missions and maneuvers suited to flying water-based thrusters
• How water compares with other green propellants
• Future applications for this technology, such as in-orbit servicing and satellite de-orbiting

You can find out more about SteamJet Space Systems here on their satsearch supplier hub.

And if you would like to learn about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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In this episode we speak with Lucille Baudet from satsearch member Oxford Space Systems (OSS).

Oxford Space Systems is a UK-based manufacturer of deployable antennas for the space industry. In this conversation we discuss the challenges of creating deployable antennas and systems for CubeSat missions, covering:

• The use of origami processes to stow and deploy antennas
• How deployable systems perform against fixed alternatives
• Testing and qualification mechanisms
• The use of advanced materials in deployable systems and other future innovations

To find out more about Oxford Space Systems please see the company's satsearch supplier hub.

And if you would like to learn about the space industry and our work at satsearch building the global marketplace for space, please join our weekly newsletter.

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