The Space Hour

Space and defense spending are at record levels, but meeting that demand requires more than money—it requires the ability to scale production quickly. From strengthening domestic supply chains to using software to streamline manufacturing, the industry is looking for ways to move faster. I recently discussed the challenges of scaling up space and defense production and what it will take to keep pace with growing demand with Laura Crabtree. She’s the CEO of Epsilon3. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As commercial space activity accelerates, companies are looking for new ways to build spacecraft and infrastructure faster and more efficiently. Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important part of that process, helping developers automate routine tasks while also raising new questions about oversight and security. I recently had the chance to talk to Brian Butcher Software Group Lead at Intuitive Machines, along with Dami Alugo, the company’s Lead DevSecOps Engineer about how AI is changing the way spacecraft are developed, and where the technology could take the industry next. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More than half a century after Apollo 11 put humans on the moon, the mission remains one of the great achievements of American history. Now, an effort is underway to make July 20 a federal day of observance, giving Americans a chance to celebrate that achievement while inspiring the next generation to pursue science, technology, engineering, the arts and space exploration. I spoke to the man behind the idea, Bob Slater. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Getting spacecraft to orbit is only part of the challenge. Once satellites are up there, they can need repairs, relocation or eventual removal—and there’s no tow truck in space. A new government-backed effort aims to demonstrate technology that could help move and service spacecraft in orbit, while also helping keep space accessible as the number of objects in orbit continues to grow. To find out more, we welcomed back to the program Troy Morris, co-founder and CEO of Kall Morris. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope combines the image quality of Hubble with a field of view that's dramatically larger. That will allow scientists to map vast portions of the sky, search for distant planets, and study some of the biggest unanswered questions in astronomy. Prior to the recent launch, I got more details from Matthew Bolcar, senior optical systems engineer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.