Space Business Podcast

 Space lasers - we are talking about space lasers again -- for optical communications rather than more sinister purposes, at least for the moment. Our guest this week is Rohit Jha from Singapore-based startup Transcelestial. Optical communications are becoming an even bigger topic than they have been before, in part thanks to orbital data centers. We talk all about that, and much more, in the episode. Enjoy. 
 
01:38 Elevator pitch
04:47 Laser history & why now
08:05 Tech Stack
09:36 Terrestrial product for telcos
11:58 Go-to-market
18:22 Defense product
23:26 Space product
27:52 Commercial space strategy
36:09 Supply chain
42:35 Orbital data centers
49:29 Singapore
50:57 Future plans
55:05 Science-fiction
🔗 Transcelestialhttps://transcelestial.com/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

Lucie Low is the Chief Science Officer of Axiom Space, a prominent space company developing its own space station and conducting private astronaut missions, among other activities. Lucie and I talk about what interesting use cases are for in-space research and manufacturing, what remains to be done to make it a large-scale reality, and other related topics. Enjoy!🔗 Axiom Space
https://www.axiomspace.com/
 
0:00 - Intro1:15 - Lucie's background2:57 - What does a CSO do?4:03 - Why research in space?7:33 - Favorite use cases8:10 - Neuroscience use cases10:38 - R&D vs. manufacturing14:30 - Microgravity applications17:11 - Key remaining challenges20:26 - Autonomous research vs. humans24:16 - Challenging use cases33:00 - Keytruda 35:27 - Inbound vs. outbound customers30:20 - Unlimited funding use case41:05 - How researchers can work with Axiom Space44:36 - Funding sources47:19 - Expanding to Europe49:13 - Favorite sci-fi
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

 Nebex is a new exchange for the global space sector. It just came out of stealth recently, but it already raised a $30 million seed round led by Google Ventures. The co-founder and CEO, Tejpaul Bhatia, is our guest for this episode. Enjoy. 
 
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Podcast Intro
1:45 – Elevator Pitch
3:01 – The Problem: Cross-Border Space Friction
15:06 – Real-World Examples incl. Axiom
34:04 – The Product: Exchange vs. Marketplace
37:40 – Business Model
50:41 – Regulation, Market Making
55:48 – Product Timeline & Alpha Launch
5:59 – Onboarding Space Founders
1:01:13 – What Else Is Exciting in Space?
1:03:57 – Nebex name origin
1:06:45 – Favorite Science-Fiction
 
🔗 Nebex
🏠Website:
https://www.nebex.com/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

Reusable satellites are our topic this week. Why they make sense, what the economics are, and other related questions. Our guest is Brian Taylor, CEO & founder of Lux Aeterna, a Colorado-based startup working on exactly this. Enjoy!
 
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Podcast Intro
1:01 — Elevator Pitch
3:18 — Brian's Background & Origin Story
8:43 — The Satellite: Design & Technology
13:57 — Heat Shield & Unique Subsystems
15:57 — Reusability & Refurbishment
22:36 — Market: Use Cases for Reusable Satellites
20:53 — Regulatory Environment
29:41 — Business Model: Space as a Service
35:00 — First Mission & Roadmap
37:28 — Lessons from SpaceX, Kuiper & Loft
40:03 — Founder vs. Employee Mindset
41:20 — What's Exciting in Space + Sci-Fi Picks
🔗 Lux Aeterna
🏠Website:
https://www.luxaeterna.com/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

This week we’re talking about satellite navigation. All of us are using it every day mostly in its best-known form, GPS. Now there is a startup company trying to make satellite navigation much better. What that means, and how they’re doing it are among the topics I’m discussing with Brian Manning, CEO and co-founder of Xona Space Systems. Enjoy!
🕰️ Timestamps: 
0:00 Podcast Intro
1:20 – Elevator Pitch4:54 – Terminology: GPS, GNSS, PNT6:31 – Why GNSS is important8:39 – GNSS on your phone10:02 – GPS Accuracy15:17 – Jamming, Spoofing, and Baby Monitors21:15 – Encryption21:54 – GPS Augmentation Services30:15 – Orbit Architecture35:23 – Jamming in Space39:06 – Indoor GNSS40:39 – Xona's 3 Pillars: Precision, Power, Protection (PPP)41:59 – Go-to-Market45:42 – Use cases unlocked by centimeter-level accuracy50:55 – Company Milestones53:19 – Bonus: PNT on the Moon54:15 – Science-Fiction
 
🔗 XONA SPACE SYSTEMS
🏠Website:
https://www.xonaspace.com/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

Space-based solar power – it’s a hot and electrifying topic again (sorry for the pun!) What is the state of the art? What are the commercial use cases? How do the economics look? We’ll dive into this and more with our guest Marc Berte, CEO & Founder of Overview Energy. Enjoy!
🕰️ Timestamps: 
0:00 Podcast Intro
01:07 Elevator Pitch
02:25 Dr. Evil to Reality
03:54 Why Space Solar Now
04:26 Mark’s Background
06:08 SBSP History
14:40 System Architecture and Safety
22:13 Solar Cells and Economics
25:28 Satellite Lifetime Design
28:32 More on Solar Cells
31:20 Integration and Unknowns
33:19 Manufacturing at Scale
34:32 Supply Chain Bottlenecks
37:02 Electricity Market Segments and Pricing
44:27 Meta Data Center Deal
47:08 New Contract Model
51:27 Roadmap and Milestones
53:14 Other Space Opportunities
56:22 Science-Fiction
57:43 Dyson Sphere
 
🔗 OVERVIEW ENERGY
🏠Website:
https://www.overviewenergy.com/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

Japan: This week we are getting an introduction to the Japanese space ecosystem. My guest is Francois Poncin. He is the Chief Operating Officer of the SPACETIDE Foundation, which does many things, but one of them is organizing what is arguably Japan's biggest and most important space conference.
🕰️ Timestamps: 
0:00 Podcast Intro
01:45 SPACETIDE
02:56 Francois' Background
04:53 Japan Space Policy
08:34 Space Strategy Fund
12:31 JAXA & Other Government Stakeholders
17:01 Universities
18:41 Startups
21:06 Investors & Funding
23:33 Corporates
27:01 Public View of Space
29:48 Breaking Into Japan
33:41 SPACETIDE CONFERENCE
39:40 Favorite Science-Fiction
 
🔗 SPACETIDE
🏠Websites:
SPACETIDE 2026 website: https://events.spacetide.jp/event/Tide2026/summary
SPACETIDE corporate page:
https://spacetide.jp/en/
COMPASS report download page:
https://spacetide.jp/en/business/knowledge/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/
 
 

 Samara Aerospace is a San Francisco-based space startup that has come up with a very interesting new tech solution for pointing satellites accurately and quickly. Now they are developing a satellite bus based on this technology. Our guest this week is Patrick Haddox, Samara's co-founder and CEO. Enjoy!
🕰️ Timestamps: 
0:00 Podcast Intro
01:26 Elevator Pitch
02:05 Solar Panel Pointing Tech
04:17 Origin Story
05:30 Testing and Flight Data
06:48 Why Pointing Matters
08:40 Go To Market Plan
10:22 Hummingbird Bus
11:18 Why Build the Whole Bus?
14:17 Satellite Bus Market
17:28 Constellation Strategy
19:22 Partnerships
20:08 Orbital Data Centers
21:48 Cicada Payload Results
22:51 Hummingbird One Roadmap
23:53 Funding & Hiring Plans
24:28 Golden Dome
25:19 Hinge Tech & Reliability
27:51 Company Culture & Hiring
29:16 Name origins
30:23 Why San Francisco?
31:40 Favorite Science-Fiction
 
🔗 Samara Aerospace
🏠Website :  https://www.samaraaerospace.com/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/
 

Exolaunch is a company that is an integral part of the space ecoystem. They sit in the middle between people wanting to launch satellites and the launch/rocket companies. They have already helped get many hundreds of satellites to space. CEO Robert Sproles is our guest this week. Enjoy!
🕰️ Timestamps: 
0:00 Podcast Intro
01:06 Episode start
01:28 Exolaunch Elevator Pitch
03:14 Why Robert Joined Exolaunch
05:12 Hardware and Transporter Missions
07:36 End to End Mission Support for Customers
11:01 Compliance incl. ITAR
12:33 Multi Launcher Strategy
13:50 Choosing the Right Rocket
15:42 Tracking New Launchers
16:58 What Customers Value Most
17:52 Exolaunch's Value to Launch Providers
19:35 Shaping Mission Design
21:43 Launch Capacity Outlook
23:23 Sovereignty Considerations
24:38 Preparing for Starship
26:16 Launcher Agnostic Hardware
28:14 Responsive Launch
29:49 Reliability and Smooth Deployment
33:04 Satellite Design Trends
36:00 AI and Space Data Centers
37:05 Biology Payloads and Return Cargo
39:13 Shared Launch Matchmaking
40:44 Beyond LEO Missions
42:09 Ten Year Vision
43:43 Sci-Fi 
 
🔗 Exolaunch
🏠Website :  https://www.exolaunch.com/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

Elevation Space is a Japanese startup working on downmass – bringing things back from space to Earth – leveraging Japan’s strong heritage in reentry and recovery technologies. CEO and co-founder Ryohei Kobayashi in our guest. Enjoy!
 
🕰️ Timestamps: 
0:00 Podcast Intro
01:35 Elevator Pitch03:49 Origin Story09:11 Product & Missions17:22 Payload Strategy18:53 Customers & Use Cases25:05 Post-ISS Future28:45 Milestones32:42 Long-Term Vision37:24 Closing: Japan Space Ecosystem + Sci‑Fi Favorites
 
🔗 Elevation Space
🏠Website :  https://elevation-space.com/en
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

The most beautiful launchsite in the world – that is my description for this week’s episode. Andøya Space is a space launch center in Northern Norway. It is kind of what you would imagine if Disney’s Frozen had a rocket launch site. Jokes aside, it is a serious strategic asset that has launched rockets since 1962 and now has German launch company Isar Aerospace as an orbital launch customer. My guest to talk about all this is Andøya Space’s CEO, former Vice Admiral Ketil Olsen. Enjoy!
🕰️ Timestamps: 
0:00 Podcast Intro
00:41 Intro to Andøya Space03:12 Historical Background04:56 Location aspects10:45 Transition to Orbital Launches15:01 Commercial Aspects18:18 Infrastructure21:25 Regulations23:51 Liability considerations25:34 Technology Safeguard Agreement with the U.S.27:08 Future Plans31:45 Building a Space Ecosystem33:58 Visiting Andøya Space40:36 Closing remarks
 
🔗 Andøya Space
🏠Website :  https://andoyaspace.no/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/

Open Cosmos, a European space scale-up, has cemented a reputation as a reliable provider and operator of satellites for various mission types. Now they have secured priority spectrum to build a new LEO broadband satellite communications constellation. Co-founder and CEO Rafel Jordá Siquier is our guest to tell us about it. Enjoy!
🕰️ Timestamps: 
0:00 Podcast Intro
01:13 Elevator Pitch
02:05 Today's News: Spectrum Rights for Satellite Communications
04:24 The Journey of Open Cosmos
06:02 Innovative Business Models
13:46 Manufacturing Capabilities
19:52 Future Plans and Partnerships
24:02 What It Takes To Build A LEO SatComm Constellation
31:19 Synergy Between Earth Observation and Communications
36:02 Spectrum & Regulatory
43:41 Vision for the Future and Favorite Science-Fiction
 
🔗 Open Cosmos
🏠Website :  https://www.open-cosmos.com/
 
🔗 Follow us:
🏠Website : https://www.e2mc.space/
🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/ 🌐Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast  
 
🔗 Follow Raphael:
◇  Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC
🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelroettgen
🌐Instagram - https://instagram.com/raphael_space/
 
To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:
"To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space EconomyThis book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
 edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOCThis course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
Space Founder NewsletterA new newsletter with opportunities for space startup founders. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JCUq92vERtxsuYnF8
Space Business Newsletter📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/