Space Business Podcast
Space is rapidly growing into an exciting ecosystem for business. In this podcast we hear from entrepreneurs, executives, investors and others about the many opportunities that exist. This podcast is produced by the Space Business Institute in partnership with the International Space University.
Episodes
Saturday Jan 14, 2023
Space Business Podcast #89 - Morpheus Space
Saturday Jan 14, 2023
Saturday Jan 14, 2023
Daniel Bock and Istvan Lőrincz are the co-founders of Morpheus Space, an innovative electric propulsion company based in Germany and the U.S. I met them for the first time at IAC in 2019 when they won the pitch competition and since then they have done really well, including announcing a US$28 million Series A last September. Please enjoy listening to them talk about their technology and their entrepreneurial journey!
Follow us:
https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Instagram - brand new! @raphael_space
Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:31 Elevator pitch
4:12 The origin of "Morpheus Space"
7:40 Perceived market gap
9:54 Is propulsion for collision avoidance all just a PR stunt?
11:36 Satellite collision data
13:25 Propulsion modeling
17:05 Business model
20:51 Talking to customers
21:48 Propulsion
28:29 Scaleability
30:36 Product constraints and challenges
33:25 Morpheus Space other line of products
36:21 How to prioritize
39:05 Partnership with Kayhan Space
41:11 Vision for the company
42:35 Other interesting things in the Space sector
45:45 Sci-Fi
Friday Dec 30, 2022
Space Business Podcast - Space in 2023 Preview
Friday Dec 30, 2022
Friday Dec 30, 2022
This is our annual preview of some of the things to watch out for in the space sector in 2023!
Follow us:
https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Instagram - brand new! @raphael_space
Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
03:46 Launch
8:28 Human Space Flight
12:01 Science exploration missions
12:51 Satellite communications & EO
13:44 Finance
14:57 Exciting Events in 2023
15:32 Education and Outreach
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Space Business Podcast #88 dearMoon crew: Brendan Hall
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
I’m guessing many if not most of you are aware of the dearMoon project. Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, or MZ, is inviting 8 artists to join him on a circumlunar flight on Starship. One of the 8 selected crew is American documentary filmmaker Brendan Hall. He is our guest on this episode and we discuss everything from his motivation to apply, over the selection process, to his objectives for the mission, and even some of the things he may take along. dearMoon has everyting to be one of the most fascinating human spaceflight missions ever and this episode is our first look at it – don’t miss it.
dearMoon crew website: https://dearmoon.earth/
Brendan's website: http://www.brendanhall.com/
Follow us:
https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Instagram - brand new! @raphael_space
Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
3:02 Where Brendan was when he found out he was selected as a crew member
5:30 Mindset through the selection process
6:55 Weighing risks and responsibilities
13:39 Where to point the camera lens
16:21 Microgravity
18:10 Initial selection process
23:15 Further steps of the process
26:21 Crew synergies
29:57 Ideal outcome of the mission
32:18 National parks
36:06 The night sky and the Moon
38:42 Special places on Earth
41:00 Humanity's future on the Moon
42:27 Sci-Fi
44:08 What Brendan has been up to since finding out he was on the crew
46:40 Things to bring along on the mission
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Space Business Podcast #87 Casey Handmer
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Casey Handmer writes a blog that many of you may already read called, well, Casey Handmer's blog. His posts regularly explore fascinating space topics such as e.g. explaining misconceptions about Starship or how to terraform Mars. We could not possibly do justice to the wealth of topics he’s written about in one podcast episode, but we are talking somewhat of a whirlwind tour through some of his best known posts on space. I think you’ll really enjoy it!
https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/
Follow us:
https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Instagram: @raphael_space
Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:30 Casey's blog
3:57 Target audience
4:51 Topic selection
7:53 Lunar base post
8:59 Power delivery to the Moon
12:24 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
13:09 Understanding Starship
17:04 Getting humanity to Mars
21:50 Why come back to Earth?
26:05 Starship use cases on Mars
31:47 Constraints on building a self-sufficient city on Mars
33:50 Terraforming Mars
40:34 Convincing people to go to Mars
44:02 Space babies
51:51 Sci-Fi
Friday Dec 09, 2022
Friday Dec 09, 2022
Dan Katz is the co-founder and CEO of Orbital Sidekick, a San Francisco-based company deploying a constellation of hyperspectral remote sensing satellites. Among other things, I talk to Dan about the capabilities and use cases of this exciting technology. Enjoy!
Follow us:
https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Instagram: @raphael_space
Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
There is now a certificate for those wanting to enter the space sector: https://www.spacecertificate.com
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro2:14 Elevator Pitch3:55 What is Hyperspectral Earth Observation?10:16 Multispectral vs. Hyperspectral vs. ... Ultraspectral(?) 14:40 The upper bounds of spectral resolution18:55 Operating at night time and under cloud cover22:43 Data and onboard processing27:15 Business Model30:50 Coverage31:52 Resolution36:28 Pipeline leaks as a use case40:14 Orbital Sidekick's satellites45:43 Selling to non-space customers48:37 Vision for the company52:42 Origin story56:05 Space trends58:00 Sci-Fi
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Space Business Podcast #85 Egbert Jan van der Veen, OHB
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Egbert Jan van der Veen is the head of strategy of well-known, publicly-listed German space company OHB. He’s also the head of their corporate venture capital arm, which has invested in a number of well-known space companies, including some that have been on this podcast. So he has a really good view of the space sector in general and also specifically about space startups. Enjoy!
Btw, happy Thanksgivings holiday to our many listeners in the U.S.!
Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:22 Egbert's background
5:39 Space in 2010
9:09 The OHB experience
10:38 Engineering vs. Business
11:47 What is OHB?
15:15 Vertical integration and supply chain
17:30 Cubesats and Smallsats
20:27 Vertical integration and demand
25:27 The DNA of OHB
28:12 Opportunities in satellite components
32:10 Noteworthy trends on satellite integration
34:30 The Software side of things
36:09 Rockets
40:33 OHB name origin
41:45 OHB Ventures
44:17 What kind of opportunities OHB is looking for
47:09 Disruptive Space tech in 2022
49:20 Sci-Fi
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Our guest this week is Jaume Sanpera, CEO & founder of Sateliot, a Barcelona-based startup providing IOT connectivity from space. IOT is an interesting market which various startups (and established companies) are tackling and we discuss current and future use cases, what technology Sateliot uses, how it is executing its go-to-market, and many other things. You will not want to miss this one. Enjoy!
Sateliot's job board: https://sateliot.space/en/careers/
The English version of Raphael's introductory book to the space economy will be out very soon. There continue to be the Portuguese ("Para cima") and German ("Hoch Hinaus") editions.
Learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro2:23 Elevator Pitch3:47 The comparison with satellite-to-mobile 6:29 Details on system architecture9:29 Space Debris10:09 Ground based infrastructure14:42 Data and use cases22:32 Spectrum rights26:33 First coverage areas28:12 Customer acquisition34:42 Pricing and what matters to customers37:27 Ocean-based use cases41:55 10-year vision43:20 Challenges for the sector46:22 Origin story48:53 Advice on space business50:17 Sateliot is hiring51:40 What else is interesting in space52:45 Sci-Fi
Sunday Oct 30, 2022
#83 To Infinity, Book Preview
Sunday Oct 30, 2022
Sunday Oct 30, 2022
The English version of my introductory book to the space economy is finally about to come out. In this special episode, I read the introductory chapter for you.
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro4:43 Book preview - introductory chapter, read by Raphael
Saturday Oct 22, 2022
#82 Ole Dokka, Spaceport Norway
Saturday Oct 22, 2022
Saturday Oct 22, 2022
My guest Ole Dokka probably knows the Norwegian space ecosystem like nobody else. He is the organizer of the Spaceport Norway conference, which will take place in Oslo next week. We talk about what is going on in space in Norway, including the Andøya spaceport, and of course also about the conference. Enjoy!
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
Raphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon.
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:06 Ole's background
4:35 Transitioning from corporate life to the space sector
7:03 2016 vs 2022
8:04 Spaceport Norway
12:44 Who is going to Spaceport Norway?
14:30 Bringing in non-space corporations
16:10 What makes a good space conference?
21:55 The Norwegian space ecosystem
25:40 The Norwegian national space strategy
30:22 Norway's potential in the space sector
36:46 Ole's future projects
39:25 Sci-fi
Friday Sep 30, 2022
#81 Dan Harkins, Tropical Weather Analytics
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
In this episode we talk about predicting extreme weather, timely (if not planned!) given hurricane Ian -- by the way, we hope you are all safe & sound!Dan Harkins, the COO of Tropical Weather Analytics will tell us about extreme weather and how their proposed satellite constellation may help us predict it.
TWA Website: https://weathersats.com/
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
Raphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon.
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:30 Elevator pitch
3:22 NASA's weather prediction tech
4:09 Prediction timeframe and accuracy
8:17 The Polar Vortex
9:03 Why has nobody done this before?
11:24 What Tropical Weather Analytics provides
15:03 Measuring wind
17:13 The ESA Arctic Weather Satellite and other sources of data
19:32 Reluctance to use this data
23:55 Key customer segments and go to market strategy
28:14 Aviation
30:53 Satellites
32:28 Timeline, fundraising and vision
35:27 Microwave sounders
38:23 Climate Change analysis
39:30 Origin story
40:50 What else to do in the space sector
43:11 Sci-FiNB: Dan briefly mentions Spaced Ventures at some point. For full disclosure, Raphael is a member of Spaced's investment advisory committee. As a reminder, the podcast is purely for journalistic purposes and nothing constitutes investment advice or solicitation.
Friday Sep 23, 2022
#80 Austin Link, Starfish Space: Space Tugs
Friday Sep 23, 2022
Friday Sep 23, 2022
My guest this week is Austin Link, a co-founder of Starfish Space. Starfish develops a space tug that can be used for satellite life extension and space debris removal. Austin and his co-founder Trevor both came out of Blue Origin and are now well on their way at Starfish, which raised a seed round last year. Please enjoy listening to their story.
https://www.starfishspace.com/
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
Raphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon.
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:16 Elevator pitch & origin story
6:06 Blue Origin
14:14 The satellite life extension market
19:42 Debris removal
24:00 Going to market
27:10 Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD)
33:43 Starfish Space timeline
36:59 Working with Governments
38:46 Starfish Space is hiring
39:04 What else to do in the space sector
41:50 Sci-Fi
Friday Sep 16, 2022
#79 Avi Loeb
Friday Sep 16, 2022
Friday Sep 16, 2022
This episode is with a guest who I wanted to have on for a while. Avi Loeb is a Professor of Science at Harvard and was the chair of its astronomy department from 2011 to 2020. He has written 8 books, including the best-seller “Extraterrestrial”, and hundreds of research papers. Among many other things, he is well-known for his views on the Oumuamua interstellar object, and he now heads the Galileo project, which is looking for further such objects. One of his upcoming projects is an expedition to try to retrieve fragments of another interstellar object from the ocean floor. If all this wasn’t interesting enough, we also talk about academia, the way science is pursued, and how we can ensure our kids maintain scientific curiosity. Enjoy!
Avi's book "Extraterrestrial":
https://www.amazon.com/Extraterrestrial-First-Intelligent-Beyond-Earth/dp/0358278147
Opportunities to learn more about space & the space economy:
Check out the edX/EPFL Space Economy MOOC: https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-economy
Do you want to specifically learn about investing in Space? Join the pre-release of Raphael's new live-taught course on Maven: https://maven.com/space-business-institute/investing-course
Raphael's introductory book on the space economy recently came out in its Portuguese translation: https://www.amazon.com/Para-Cima-Economia-Espacial-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B09X5WV3WC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ROKTHNSCZCRI. Stay tuned for the English translation, which should come out soon.
The Space Business Podcast is sponsored by NanoAvionics.
Follow the podcast on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/podcast_space
Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spacebusinesspodcast
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:14 Avi's farm background and the "Indistinguishable grains of sand"
4:27 What makes humanity unique?
8:49 How academics can suppress innovation
12:01 Fixing the academic "system"
20:07 The Fermi Paradox
25:34 Cosmic archaeology
35:32 Is Earth worth visiting?
39:50 The Galileo Project
40:52 UAPs
44:29 Current status of observation tech
49:13 Planned expedition to the Ocean floor
53:40 Projects that we should be engaging in
57:42 James Webb Space Telescope
01:00:36 Keeping your childlike curiosity