Episodes
After nearly a decade, Boeing’s Starliner is about to embark on its first-ever crewed flight. The CFT is scheduled to lift off as soon as tonight. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the milestone, the role of commercial space in the space agency’s outlook, and more.
Published 05/06/24
From leadership upheaval to a lunar launch on deck – 2024 is poised to be a breakout year for space startup Firefly Aerospace. CEO Bill Weber joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the slew of projects at the end-to-end space transportation company from this year’s Space Symposium.
Published 05/02/24
SES is acquiring rival satellite operator Intelsat for $3.1 billion, in a deal that brings together two major communications satellite operators in a market facing increased competition. SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the deal, the competitive landscape and where he sees the future of satellite communications.
Published 04/30/24
As mega-constellations proliferate, satellite communications is skyrocketing-- and so is the need to regulate them. In response, the FCC launched its Space Bureau one year ago this month. Since the reorganization, it's taken on space junk, emergency satellite cell service, issuing licenses for lunar landers, and more. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the agency's operations and how she views its role in the new space economy.
Published 04/25/24
As geopolitical tensions have soared this week, the role of space as a warfighting domain becomes ever-more critical. A key topic at the Space Symposium, Boeing’s Space Intelligence & Weapon System Vice President and General Manager Kay Sears sits down with Morgan Brennan to discuss space exploration and rising demand for national security in the final frontier.
Published 04/23/24
While space billionaires have a slew of visions for the future of humanity, few are literally reaching for the stars literally. Kam Ghaffarian, the co-founder of Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines and more, joins Morgan Brennan from the Space Symposium to discuss the trillion-dollar opportunity in the space economy, nuclear reactors and more.
Published 04/18/24
Aerospace has grown 88% over the past two decades – more than any other emerging industry in metro Denver and Boulder in that period. With 191 aerospace companies in the region, Voyager Space stands out as a rapidly growing multinational space conglomerate. Founder and CEO Dylan Taylor joins Morgan Brennan to discuss how and why the aerospace industry is thriving in Denver and how one entrepreneur is channeling the economic boom to build the Berkshire Hathaway of space. Tune into “Cities of...
Published 04/11/24
Sierra Space, a private space tech company valued at $5.3 billion has been thirty years in the making. Now, it’s unveiling a line of buses—the main bodies of satellites—to sell to others. CEO Tom Vice joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the product launch, its Dream Chaser spaceplane’s maiden voyage, and plans to go public.
Published 04/05/24
What if AI could make weather forecasts more accurate? Spire Global has been tracking the accuracy of AI-driven weather prediction models using its own satellite data. Now partnering with Nvidia, CEO Peter Platzer joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the collaboration, the massive market for weather forecasting, and the 12 year old company’s path to profitability.
Published 04/04/24
Fortuna Investments, which rose to fame with early bets on lithium, is now setting its sights on another frontier market. Founder & partner Justus Parmar joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the opportunities in the space space, why now is the time to invest, and his bullish case for Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin.
Published 03/28/24
Trimble, a leader in geospatial technology and player in the Internet of Things (IOT), is reaping the benefits of its initial bet on GPS 46 years ago. Trading at multi-year highs, the company is building on the momentum that stems from building hardware & software for construction, agriculture, transportation, and more. CEO Rob Painter joins Morgan Brennan to discuss Trimble’s portfolio and the role of space in software applications.
Published 03/21/24
In another milestone for SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space venture blasted off this morning and traveled to space. The most powerful rocket ever reached orbital velocity and carried out a number of ambitious tests. Space Capital Managing Partner and early SpaceX investor Chad Anderson joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the mission and future moves for the company.
Published 03/14/24
Interlune is emerging from stealth, closing an $18 million seed funding round, led by Reddit co-founder Alex Ohanian’s firm 776. Founded by two former Blue Origin executives, the startup aims to harvest natural resources from space and sell to commercial and government customers. CEO Rob Meyerson joins Morgan Brennan to lay out the company’s strategy and building out the in-space industry.
Published 03/13/24
As the number of spacecraft has skyrocketed, so has the risk of collision. Morpheus Space, a space mobility startup, is looking to change the model around maneuvering satellites. CEO Daniel Bock joins Morgan Brennan to break down the one-stop satellite services shop—and building a subscription model to do so.
Published 03/08/24
Terran Orbital, a small satellite maker which went public in a SPAC deal in early 2022, received an unsolicited takeover offer from supplier and investor Lockheed Martin last Friday. The defense prime already owns 28% of the company and now wants to buy the company in a deal valued just under $600 million—significantly below the market valuation when the company first went public at $1.8 billion. Terran Orbital quickly adopted a poison pill – or shareholder rights plan- as the company hopes...
Published 03/07/24
Lunar services company Intuitive Machines made history as the first company to successfully land a private spacecraft on the moon. After a wild ride involving a nailbiter of a slightly titled, but soft landing—the spacecraft Odysseus went to sleep as lunar night sets in and is bound to freeze key components. Co-founder & CEO Steve Altemus joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the technical challenges, the sponsorship opportunities which have arisen post-landing, and whether or not Odie can...
Published 03/01/24
As commercial space makes its mark on the moon, spacecrafts’ power sources are coming under scrutiny. Solar powered spacecraft freeze upon sunset—but the problem may become obsolete in several years as more nuclear-powered alternatives come to market. Zeno Power co-founder & CEO Tyler Bernstein joins CNBC’s Morgan Brennan to discuss repurposing nuclear waste for fuel, the role of nuclear power in space and growing its client base from government agencies to the commercial sphere.
Published 02/29/24
As launch costs have dropped and orbital activity rises, the government is taking on more responsibility to keep pace. The NOAA, the Commerce Department’s arm to oversee commercial remote sensing, has expanded dramatically since taking over non-military space tracking from the Department of Defense. NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce Director Richard DalBello joins Morgan Brennan to discuss regulatory action, monitoring the private sector and the office’s growing impact as legislation seeks to...
Published 02/22/24
This Valentine’s Day, Intuitive Machines will become the latest to attempt to launch and land the first commercial lander on the moon. The company is contracted for the mission by NASA as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, following private held startup Astrobotic’s failed attempt under the same program last month. The SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch the Nova-C lunar lander into space the same day as the company’s one-year anniversary of its public debut. CEO Steve...
Published 02/13/24
For the first time ever, Hawaiian Airlines is rolling out WiFi services to passengers. Partnering with SpaceX, the airline will equip its first Airbus A-321 with free Starlink Internet service for passengers to use. In a rare interview, Starlink VP of Business Operations Chad Gibbs joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the rollout of Hawaiian Airline’s offering, a milestone for Elon Musk’s space startup and the broader market opportunity for the fast-growing satellite service.
Published 02/08/24
For the first time ever, Hawaiian Airlines is rolling out WiFi services to passengers. Partnering with SpaceX, the airline will equip its first Airbus A-321 with free Starlink Internet service for passengers to use. On this episode, Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram joins Morgan Brennan to discusses the rollout, the decision to partner with SpaceX in April 2022, and how Hawaiian’s pending acquisition of Alaska Airlines will affect the company’s broadband ambitions.
Published 02/08/24
Patriotism is cool again in the tech world, but venture capitalists are on the hunt for the next promising space & defense name to develop tech for the U.S. government. Andreessen Horowitz’s new thesis is American Dynamism, or investing in companies advancing U.S. interests including national security and space. General Partner David Ulevitch joins Morgan Brennan to discuss where he's seeing opportunity in the space economy...and where he's not.
Published 02/01/24
Space has transformed from a peacetime domain to a military one, spurring space startups to target warfighting demand. The niche of defense tech and national security space startups is gaining investor interest, with True Anomaly a recent benefactor. CEO Even Rogers joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the $100M Series B funding round it closed in December and his outlook for the first of its satellite launches later this year.
Published 01/26/24
NASA, in addition to its space exploration, has been instrumental in the innovation and development of air travel. Announcing a new partnership with Archer Aviation, the space agency & aircraft-maker will develop high-performance battery cells for electric aircraft -and potentially spacecraft. Archer Aviation CEO Adam Goldstein joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the partnership.
Published 01/24/24