Ex Terra: The Journal of Space Commerce

Young entrepreneurs will be the future of space commerce, just as they are in most industries.On this edition of the Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Madison Feehan, who is leading multiple space commerce efforts … one that is involved in looking at ways to build on the Moon, and the other working on advanced space robotics and STEM education. At just 20 years old, Madison is the COO of Space Copy, and the co-founder and CFO of Moon Trades. Space Copy is the first multi-purpose interplanetary manufacturing device that combines lunar regolith sampling, spectral data analysis, and 3D printing into one mechanism. Space Copy works to reduce the costs of frequent payload service missions, and well as reduce the amount of pollution and debris emitted by continuous resupply missions sent to the lunar surface to sustain long-term human presence by providing an in-situ resource utilization technology to be used directly on the Moon and Mars to create supplies needed to sustain human life. "In Junior High School I created a 3D CAD model prototype for a Mars habitat that was created using 3D printers. I actually submitted it to NASA to see if anyone was interested in developing the theory into an actual technology. That didn't actually take off," Madison said. "And when I was 16, I was approached by the same NASA office that I had previously sent that project off to, and they offered me a contract position to review some innovations for science instruments that were being developed for terrestrial and Lunar use." Moon Trades is a global consortium designing lunar robotics for mining and AI space education for STEM enthusiasts. In her "spare" time, Madison advises young people considering STEM and space careers. Madison is a graduate of Harvard Business School ('22) - Entrepreneurship Essentials (2021), Negotiation Mastery (2022), Disruptive Strategy (2022); Comprehensive Certificate of Specialization in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Harvard Business School Online, class of 2022. The Ex Terra Podcast has been named one of the Internet's top 15 Space Business Podcasts by Feedspot. We hope you'll subscribe to stay up to date on Space Commerce through our interviews with leaders in the industry. On a programming note, this is our final podcast to 2023. We'll return in January. We wish you all an outstanding holiday season.

Epsilon3's mission is to modernize space missions and complex engineering, business, and testing workflows by building the industry standard of operational software. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Laura Crabtree, CEO of Epsilon3. Current mission tools are neglected in a program lifecycle, creating inefficiency, errors, and added costs over the course of a project. Epsilon3 arms operators with the best possible tools throughout an entire project’s lifecycle, which result in 10X more efficiency and operator-friendliness. "The operator is not going off to do analysis. They need information in front of them quickly. So, how do we give them information quickly? You want to string together what happened yesterday, what happened two weeks ago, with what's going to happen tomorrow, and if you have everything on one platform, you have the string to do that," Crabtree said. A graduate of the University of Southern California, Laura worked at both SpaceX and Northrop Grumman Corporation prior to co-founding Epsilon3 with Max Mednik.

Phantom Space Corporation was founded to change the way satellites and other assets are transported into space, through space, and ultimately back to Earth. The company's approach of offering of launch, propulsion, and satellite solutions enables a widening demographic to access space, space technology, and space data. This time on The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Mark Lester, COO of Phantom Space, about how the satellite launch business is evolving, and Phantom's role in that business. The company is developing two launch vehicles and has a proven track record of successful satellite programs, spacecraft design, and launch missions. The launch vehicles are built around proven components so as to be more cost-effective to launch. "You see changing expectations. The bar used to be 'get to space and you're one of a few.' Now, it's not only get to space but do it over and over again in a very reliable, dependable way." How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public. The company's approach of offering of launch, propulsion, and satellite solutions enables a widening demographic to access space, space technology, and space data. This time on The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Mark Lester, COO of Phantom Space, about how the satellite launch business is evolving, and Phantom's role in that business. The company is developing two launch vehicles and has a proven track record of successful satellite programs, spacecraft design, and launch missions. The launch vehicles are built around proven components so as to be more cost-effective to launch. "You see changing expectations. The bar used to be 'get to space and you're one of a few.' Now, it's not only get to space but do it over and over again in a very reliable, dependable way." How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

In this third and final installment of our series looking at geopolitics in Asia and Space Commerce, Tom Patton talks with Dr. Namrata Goswami about space commerce in India, and the influence of political and economic factors in the country. India has been on a roll in space, most recently with the landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft at the south pole of the Moon. India is also actively supporting the private commercialization of space, with some 140 space startup companies currently helping to build the space infrastructure there. Dr. Goswami brings her unique insights into the space programs of her native country developed through extensive study of the topic, including research on the ground in India. Dr. Goswami goes in-depth into the Modi government, India's historic stance as a non-aligned country, and how India is now gravitating towards the United States in terms of collaboration in space, as well as insights coming out of the G-20 Summit which had space as a topic of discussion. "The fact that India has taken a decision to move funding to the private sector ... to build rockets and to build satellites and to build propulsion systems ... means that India's future in terms of space startups is pretty exciting," Dr. Goswami said. Dr. Goswami is an author, professor, strategic analyst and consultant on Great Power Politics, Space Policy, Alternate Futures, and Frameworks of Conflict Negotiation and Resolution. She is currently working on a book project "China's Grand Strategy and The Notion of Territoriality and Resources" and a second project on conceptualizing a space power matrix answering a key question: what makes a country a space power?

On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Global Security Consultant Dr. Namrata Goswami concerning US-Russia policy and how it ties into space commerce. This is the first in a series of three podcasts with Dr. Goswami, looking at our relationships with Russia, China and India related to space commerce. On Sunday, Russia lost its Luna 25 spacecraft when it crashed while attempting to land on the surface of the Moon. The country is consumed with its war in Ukraine, and it has openly stated that it plans to leave the International Space Station partnership in the next few years, and has been collaborating with China on potential joint space exploration. Still, a Russian Cosmonaut will fly to the ISS on the Crew-7 mission scheduled to launch early Friday morning. Effect of US-Russia Policy on Space Commerce So how does US-Russia policy affect space commerce, and is there an analog to Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos in Russia that could spur a commercial space industry in Russia? “Given the fact that Roscosmos likes centralization, do not want to give up power, very much dictates the organization of Russian (space) firms, I do not see someone like Elon Musk being able to succeed or innovate in that environment,” Dr. Goswami said. According to Dr. Goswami, economic pressure including sanctions related to the war are forcing Russia to take more of a supporting role in its relationships with China and India as it relates to space. And India, with its recent signing of The Artemis Accords, which Russia opposed, is seen to be moving closer to the US when it comes to space. All of that and more will be discussed this week, and in the following two podcasts. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

There is a great deal of work being done in the arena of manufacturing in space. Many of the companies working to place private space stations in orbit say that manufacturing is one of the functions that can make them commercially viable. Aboard the ISS, several additive manufacturing … or 3D printing … processes have been studied. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Ryan Elliott, Co-Founder and CEO of In Orbit Aerospace, a company building the orbital infrastructure to create new and improved products in microgravity, and deliver them back to Earth. Manufacturing in space can be beneficial in many areas, ranging from creating new pharmaceuticals and improved semiconductors to fiber optics and 3D bioprinting. In Orbit Aerospace is taking a new approach to manufacturing in space, acting as an intermediary to transport equipment and materials in space, and returning them to Earth. “We want to be the third-party logistics provider for manufacturers who want to make these products in orbit,” Elliott said. “We provide them the transportation, the power, the data and the return back to the ground.” In Orbit Aerospace plans to be able to take manufacturing equipment and raw materials to both crewed space stations and autonomous facilities. Dynamic for Manufacturing in Space is Changing, Elliott Says Manufacturing in space has been going on since the days of Skylab. But it has been mostly government funded. Now, Elliott says, the dynamic is changing, and the private sector is taking a much larger role in the sector. In Orbit Aerospace has already signed its first customer, which Elliott was not a liberty to divulge now, but he did say that it’s a biotech firm. That mission is currently targeted for launch in October 2024 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts, Radio Public, and most other podcasting platforms.

Like all businesses, space companies face challenges in recruitment and professional development. How do companies in the industry address those issues? On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Christopher Allen, co-founder and COO of Nova Space, which has just introduced a new program to help in that area. Nova Space Inc. offers organizations placement services from true space professionals, with decades of experience working across government, DoD, and commercial space. And, since space requires a complex and diverse set of skills and experiences for every project and mission, the Nova Space program offers digital learning paths, digital credential programs, and custom learning development to meet those specific needs. In addition to recruitment and professional development, the program focuses on marketing its clients’ organizations to potential customers and employees. Christopher Allen has more than 15 years of experience in software marketing and engineering management ranging from digital marketing to enterprise grade cloud-based subscription services. Recruitment and Professional Development Challenges On the podcast, Christopher discusses some of the unique challenges faced by space companies in recruitment and professional development, such as the value to companies looking for talent and the people hoping to fill those jobs. He also delves into the changing role of universities in preparing the next generation of space entrepreneurs and developing the skillsets of the talent pool needed to make space commerce a reality. “For space to be sustainable at its current rate of innovation opportunity, we really need to expand who’s available to work in that space,” Allen said. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

The government and defense sectors are crucial to space commerce. Government and defense contracts are regularly awarded to private space companies to supply technology related to propulsion, communications, Earth observation and a host of other verticals. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Nino Marcantonio, CEO and Senior DoD Strategic Tech Advisor of Marcantonio Global. As the pace of change in technology continues to accelerate at a very fast pace, it is important is for individuals, companies and the government to keep pace with this change. Typhoon, as he was commonly known, recognizes the powerful metaphor of the Roman Centurions, the elite warriors of their time who played a crucial role in expanding and safeguarding the empire. He likens their unwavering dedication and stoic virtues to the values necessary for the protection and advancement of American and Western culture. Centurions Program Develops Space Commerce Companies Marcantonio developed the Centurions Program to identify and train exceptional individuals and help them through the maze of securing defense and government contracts. Many of these individuals are engaged in space commerce, which is critical in this new era of space-based defense and information technology. “We’re put in a point in time where we need to think about non-traditionals that are extremely important. Because non-traditionals are the ones who might have something extremely innovative,” Marcantonio said. Nino Marcantonio has over 15 years of experience in the U.S. Federal, Defense, and Homeland Security mission space. Marcantonio Global co-founded the Defense Technology Innovation Program (DTIP) which aims to address critical shortfalls in the Defense Industrial Base by accessing innovative technologies from non-traditional defense contractors and non-profit research institutions. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis recently released its revised US Space Economy Statistics for 2012–2021. The new data builds on previous estimates that were released in January 2022 by incorporating new source data and improved methods. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Dr. Tina Highfill, an award-winning research economist with the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is compiled using BEA’s comprehensive supply and use tables (SUTs) and National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs), which provide insight into the internal workings of the U.S. economy and detail the contribution of specific industries and products to GDP. The SUTs measure the flows of goods and services purchased by each industry, the incomes earned from production in each industry, and the distribution of sales for each product. The NIPA data present the value and composition of U.S. GDP, the types of incomes generated in its production, and its associated employment. The goal of the space economy statistics is to highlight the space-related production and spending that are already present in the SUTs and NIPAs. In practice, these statistics represent a rearrangement of existing data to isolate spending and production for the space economy. COVID had Less of an Impact on the US Space Economy than Other Sectors “Generally speaking, what we found is that the COVID pandemic didn’t impact the space economy as much as the overall US economy, but it also didn’t see the same rebound,” Highfill said. BEA continues to expand and improve upon the space economy estimates with the intention of developing a time series of estimates with full industry detail aligning with BEA’s other statistical releases. Additionally, research is underway to estimate space economic activity by categories that are more salient to space community users, such as launch and R&D, to provide an additional layer of understanding about the U.S. space economy. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

A superconducting magnetorquer is an innovative idea for controlling spacecraft without the use of fuel. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Max Arshavsky, CEO of Zenno Astronautics, a New Zealand startup developing just such an attitude control system, and other space applications. The Zenno system is the first superconducting magnetorquer for spacecraft attitude control that uses no fuel, just a magnetic field to move spacecraft in Earth’s orbit. The company successfully raised $6.8 million (US) in a seed round in 2022, with double that on reserve ready to draw if they require it – making Zenno the company that has raised the biggest seed in New Zealand history. As of May 2023 has secured around $48 million (US) in pre-sales. Built on technologies with significant heritage, Z01 is a new approach to spacecraft attitude control which bypasses many of the limitations of traditional magnetic attitude control systems. Like a conventional magnetorquer, Z01 interacts with the ambient magnetic field of the Earth to generate a torque on a spacecraft. Unlike anything that is currently available, Z01 uses high-temperature superconducting coils to eliminate Ohmic losses, allowing for extremely high currents and continuous operation at peak dipole moment. Initial Superconducting Magnetorquer is for Attitude Control “We’re concentrating on pointing a spacecraft rather than moving a spacecraft with respect to Earth,” Arshavsky said. “When we have two magnetic fields interact with each other, you get torque if the magnetic fields are not aligned.” Zenno Astronautics’ hardware and software products ensure satellite missions are effectively managed, guaranteeing maximum economic returns and responsible use of space. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

One of the challenges for spaceports is attracting new business to be able to sustain operations. At Spaceport America, that is the job of Dr. Francisco Pallares, the newly-appointed Director of Business Development. Dr. Pallares joined the New Mexico Spaceport Authority from Sul Ross State University and was the former Deputy Director for Economic Development at the City of Las Cruces prior to accepting his new position. Spaceport America is probably best known as the home of Virgin Galactic, which is poised to resume crewed flights as early as May 25. But the spaceport has other clients and functions as well, and attracting new business is critical to the facility’s ongoing operations. Built for Attracting New Business Spaceport America was the first commercial spaceport in the world. It is an FAA-licensed launch complex, situated on 18,000 acres adjacent to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, has a rocket-friendly environment of 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace, low population density, a 12,000-foot by 200-foot runway, and vertical launch complexes, so there is plenty of room for expansion. On the podcast, Tom Patton talks with Dr. Pallares about how the NMSA goes about marketing the facility to potential clients, what kinds of new business they are looking to secure, and why they are important to the overall success of Spaceport America. The vision for the NMSA is for Spaceport America to become a premier multi-modal Spaceport for point-to-point space transportation, aerospace operations, research, development, and testing in support of our Nation’s commercial, civil, and national security space sectors. “I would not see it as something far fetched that we can start thinking about Spaceport America as having that value added, that additional production, into how can we deliver things across the world in two hours,” Dr. Pallares said. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public. Related

Veteran space industry insider Jim Cantrell, author of “Breaking All the Rules: The Inside Story of the New Space Race”, got into the space business rather by accident. “I really never wanted to be in the space business when I was young.” - Jim Cantrell A flier posted at his college got the self-proclaimed southern California gearhead involved in a project to design a Mars rover, which his team won. From there, Jim has been an engineer for NASA and the French Space Agency CNES, traveling the world working on space projects. Then, he was contacted by Elon Musk about joining a little company called SpaceX. He took the gig. After working for SpaceX, he has gone on to found multiple space companies, most recently Phantom Space, which hopes to launch its first rocket in 2024. In “Breaking All the Rules”, Cantrell chronicles his career in the space industry through his time with SpaceX, and on the podcast, he tells Ex Terra why he left the world’s most recognizable commercial space company to strike out on his own. Through the lens of a space entrepreneur, Cantrell foresees a “bloodbath” coming in the not-too-distant future leading to the failure of multiple new space companies, citing Virgin Orbit as an example. “The money that comes from investors, particularly these large venture funds, as really the equivalent of government money without the strings attached to it,” Cantrell said. “And the fact is there are different strings attached to it, and the expect a profit.” Cantrell still predicts that SpaceX will be successful in establishing a human presence on Mars. Breaking All The Rules Availability - “Breaking All the Rules” is available on Amazon in both printed and e-book formats, and on jimcantrell.com, where autographed copies are available. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

For the longest time, space launch systems were single use. Now, the focus is shifting towards fully reusable rockets such as those in development by Stoke Space. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Kelly Henning, COO of Stoke Space. The company is working to develop fully reusable rockets designed to be flown daily. Allied Market Research released a report last year indicating that the reusable launch vehicle market is estimated to be worth $1.38 billion in 2025 and grow to $3.56 billion by 2035. A unique feature of the second stage of the Stoke Space rocket is an actively (regeneratively) cooled metallic re-entry heat shield with an integrated modular LH2/LOX rocket engine that is robust, resilient to damage, and operates with passive failure modes. Designed for minimal refurbishment between flights and unlocking the potential for rapid turnaround. The first stage of the fully reusable rockets will be powered by 7x LNG/LOX engines and are designed for return to launch site (RTLS) or downrange landing. Stoke Space Fully Reusable Rockets will Launch from an Historic Site Stoke space has also secured exclusive access to the historic Launch Complex 14, where John Glenn began his orbital mission in 1962. There is a monument commemorating Glenn’s flight, and the blockhouse has been maintained. However, the site will need some extensive refurbishment, and preserving the history of the site is important to the company. “The large structures, the ramps and some other features have been just, essentially abandoned and left to the elements,” Henning said. “We’re really looking to try to maintain as much of the historical look that it had before.” How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

Digital engineering is a relatively new field that is having a big impact on space commerce. On this edition of the Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Greg Porter, Senior Systems Architect at Sev1Tech, which provides IT modernization, cloud, cybersecurity, engineering, training and program support services to U.S. government agencies and major commercial organizations. Headquartered in the Washington D.C. metro area, Sev1Tech is a trusted contractor supporting critical missions across the defense, intelligence, homeland security, space, and health markets. Sev1Tech offers extensive digital engineering solutions such as model-based engineering, digital thread design, development and implementation, and digital twin design. These allow the company to create artificial and augmented reality environments for remote training and problem solving. Digital Engineering can Put Workers in Any Location Virtually “The worker out on the floor can actually put on the hololens and they can see virtual items overlaid into their real space,” Porter said, “which is super helpful when they’re working on tasks and they can see work instructions right in front of them. And it even interacts with the person using the desktop model remotely.” Porter has been with the company since October 2021, leading the Artificial Intelligence team as well as the company’s Digital Twin and Digital Thread efforts. For over 12 years, Greg Porter has been a noteworthy leader in the IT industry. Prior to Sev1Tech, he was a Senior Systems Architect at Geocent, leading data analytics for logistics and Hadoop cluster projects, and Senior Big Data Administrator at Honeywell FM&T, where he was responsible for Big Data infrastructure design, configuration, installation, and security. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, we welcome back Izzy House to talk about her new book “Space Marketing: Spaceports”, the second book in her Space Marketing series. Space Marketing: Spaceports introduces marketing principles and tactics to the spaceport industry. This book is the second title in the Space Marketing Series. It provides insights from successful spaceport leaders and ideas on how to initiate a spaceport or other big initiatives. Working on the book also led Izzy to launch her Space Marketing podcast, in which she talks to industry leaders about getting their messages out to the broader space commerce community. “Most people misunderstand what ‘marketing’ is. They think it’s just advertising,” House said. “There are so many different facets to marketing. Advertising is one of them, but you also have education. You also have public affairs, you have outreach, and there are so many facets that go into marketing that if you don’t market, people don’t know you exist.” Izzy says she had an epiphany about how to combine her passions for space and marketing when she first saw the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors’ complex. Since then, she has focused her efforts on helping space companies tell their stories not only to the space industry, but to the general public. She will be one of the speakers at the upcoming Space Tourism Conference April 28th in Los Angeles. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

Earth Observation is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the emerging space economy. But the time and manpower needed to analyze all the data can be a drain on company resources. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Don Osborne, CEO of EarthDaily Analytics, which is working to streamline the process of analyzing Earth Observation data. According to the company website, the insights provided by EarthDaily Analytics allow customers in multiple industries to track long-term trends, monitor change, and take guided, strategic actions to better serve their customers and fulfill their missions. In 2024, EarthDaily Analytics will launch EarthDaily, the world’s first earth observation system designed from the ground-up to produce scientific-quality imagery of the entire earth every day. The nine-satellite constellation of next generation satellites will collect scientific-grade imagery of the planet in a unique combination of 21 spectral bands, many of which will be 5-meter resolution. The constellation will have an expected lifespan of over 10 years. Don Osborne has spent his entire career in the satellite and aerospace industry. Prior to joining EarthDaily, from 2009 to 2017 he was a senior executive at MDA, a Maxar Company, including as President of the MDA Information Systems Group where he was responsible for MDA’s Canadian businesses. Previously, he served as the President of Advantech Satellite Networks Inc. from 2006 to 2009. Don has also served as Vice President of EMS Technologies Inc. and Senior Vice President and General Manager for the EMS Satellite Networks group, a part of the Space & Technology/Montreal operations from 1999 to 2006. He joined EMS Technologies Inc. in January 1999, when it acquired the Spar Satellite Products business, where Don had served as Vice President of Marketing and other positions commencing in 1983 as a Mechanical Engineer. Don holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

Next month, the Space Tourism Society will hold its annual Conference, held each year on April 28th on the anniversary of the date that Dennis Tito, the first space tourist, launched to the International Space Station in 2001. On this edition of The Ex Tera Podcast, Tom Patton talks with John Spencer, CEO of the Space Tourism Society, which holds the annual event in Los Angeles, CA. The conference presents the cross-section of industries comprising the space experience economy: aerospace, media, entertainment, architecture, design, advertising, marketing, finance, high tech, science, manufacturing, futurism and the arts. While most people still associate space tourism with very wealthy people buying tickets on commercial spacecraft for suborbital and orbital flights as well as visits to the ISS, there is much more to the industry, and there is much more to come. “The investment community has absolutely woken up into the idea that … space tourism is an industry that will have almost limitless growth, high profitability and also it’s just a very sexy, exciting industry to be in,” Spencer said. If you’ve ever traveled to witness a launch or visited a space museum, you’ve participated in the space experience economy. In the future, there will be many more such possibilities, according to Spencer, which will lead to the creation of thousands of jobs … from rocket scientists to welders and hospitality personnel aboard orbital hotels … and generate potentially billions of dollars in revenue. This year’s conference will be held at the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport hotel. The conference will look ahead to the very near future and beyond. Private space travel has arrived. The countdown is done. It’s now time to fly many more private citizens—vacationers, contest winners, athletes, actors, artists, and all seeking incomparable life-altering experiences.

Satellites have vastly improved weather forecasting, but what are the practical weather applications for that information for businesses? On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Thomas Cavett, VP of Strategy and Operations at Tomorrow.io. The mission of Tomorrow.io is to help countries, businesses, and individuals better manage their weather related challenges with the best information and insights. The company offers proprietary data and models, along with proprietary radar-equipped satellites designed by the company. Dozens of these satellites will begin launching into space over the coming years. The practical weather applications for the data provided by Tomorrow.io runs the gamut from aviation and other modes of transportation to construction, mining and retail. For example, Seasonal buying cycles are ingrained in almost every retail business’ preparations each year. Companies plan inventory accordingly for spikes in demand for commodities like snow blowers in the winter, gardening tools in the spring, in-season fruit in the summer and Halloween decorations in the fall. But while retailers are well accustomed to these predictable yearly trends, unexpected weather events such as winter storms or hurricanes can catch them flat-footed as these setbacks disrupt their business. Without proactive preparation, retailers run the risk of significant profit losses over time, missed revenue optimization and lack of long-term resilience as climate change causes increasingly frequent and destructive weather events. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

To be competitive in the commercial space industry, companies need to focus on training and professional development for both new hires and existing employees. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Joseph Horvath, the CEO of Nova Space, a company focused on providing online training and professional development for the new space industry. Nova Space has developed an innovative approach to online training and professional development for commercial space companies. Rather than the more traditional slide deck or talking-head webinar presentations, the Nova Space courses are interactive, giving the person taking the course an opportunity to have a more “hands-on” experience. Training and Professional Development Offered Across Multiple Disciplines From an initial professional training course, the Nova Space offerings drill down into specific topics such as orbital mechanics, rocket science, space systems engineering, satellite communications and service, space tourism and others. Subscriptions to the course material are available from the company. Joseph Horvath has two decades of experience in space and astronautics with an extensive network across industry and DoD. While serving as a Marine Corps officer, he was the Service’s Senior Space Operations Officer, leading professional development, training, education, policy and exercise design. His educational background includes a BS in Astrophysics and MS in Space Systems Operations, as well as being a former DARPA Fellow. His work has been published in multiple journals including “A Hybrid Routing Protocol for Space Based Networks”, “Space Operations for the Warfighter” and “The Marine Space Support Team Concept”. Joseph brings to his role extensive leadership and management experience with a focus on agile practices and developing successful teams. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

Supporting national security and intelligence missions is critical to the security of the United States. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Kevin Kelly, CEO of Arcfield, a company created to solve the most complex and demanding national security and space-related challenges. According to the company website, Arcfield was purpose-built to solve the most complex and demanding national security and space-related challenges. With core capabilities in systems engineering and integration, mission assurance and C5ISR, the company is setting the trajectory for space and hypersonic mission success. Arcfield offers its customers a commitment to innovation and excellence in technology that puts solving its customers’ complex challenges today while anticipating the mission needs of the future at the forefront of everything it does. The work is performed by a highly technical team that serves as a trusted partner to its customers, with a proven track record of exemplary performance. National Security is Closely Tied to Space Commerce Arcfield focuses on data management and information largely in the national security arena, though they do have close ties to the commercial space industry. National security is depending more and more on COTS components, and information that is relayed by and housed on commercial satellites can be a matter of national security. Additionally, such missions often rely on commercial companies for launch services. On the podcast, Tom and Kevin discuss topics ranging from data collection and management, and the exploitation of that data, to the talent pool for data management and the role of space technology in the intelligence arena. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

Since the launch of the first weather satellite in 1960, these spacecraft have vastly improved weather forecasting around the world. Weather satellites now provide incredibly detailed images of weather systems as well as a wealth of data that make make those forecasts extremely accurate They’ve also gotten much smaller. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Dan Harkins, Chief Operating Officer of Tropical Weather Analytics, which is developing a constellation of weather forecasting nanosatellites. Current weather forecasting models cannot keep up with the pace of climate change and extreme events. The NanoSats being developed by Tropical Weather Analytics will deliver the missing data set forecasters need to make more accurate and reliable weather predictions, the company says. The polar winds interact with the jet streams and drive the majority of weather patterns across the globe. But existing satellites only provide a 2D solution to a 4D problem, measuring winds in just the horizontal axes while vertical winds are sparsely, and poorly, measured by weather balloons and stations. These new nanosatellites will leverage the company’s 4D (XYZ + Time) measuring technique to collect wind measurements across all altitudes with greater frequency and higher resolution. This gives forecasters a more accurate starting point to derive their forecasts from. Weather Forecasting Nanosatellites will Supplement Hurricane Hunters Rising temperatures are potentially making hurricanes more powerful and more frequent. The US is the only country with Hurricane Hunter Aircraft. At a cost of $250M per year to maintain those aircraft, Tropical Weather Analytics believes it can deliver similar observational capability with its satellites to the 20 vulnerable countries at 4% of the costs ($10M per year). The company will also aid the US when multiple hurricanes form simultaneously or the aircraft experience mechanical problems which could prevent timely observations. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public. 00:00 - Start 00:13 - Introduction Dan Harkins 01:15 - What does Tropical Weather Analytics do? 02:18 - How can we improve hurricane forecasts? 04:37 - How does TWA technology help improve forecasting? 06:40 - How does a satellite measure wind? 08:11 - Whats limits us from better forecasts? 09:58 - The tech started on the ISS 12:24 - The TPA constellation 14:07 - Agile, mobile? 15:11 - How can this benefit business? 18:28 - Improving current forecasts 20:23 - Not just commercial aviation, general aviation as well 21:53 - Dan's background and the TPA team 24:25 - Crowdfunding 25:35 - How does CF work for a service? 26:58 - Will funding get tougher? 30:12 - Look ahead the next few years, what's ahead for space commerce? 32:12 - Closing

With the announcement last month of the Impulse Space LEO Express-1 orbital mission, we thought it would be a good time to check back in with the company. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Barry Matsumori, the Chief Operating Officer of Impulse Space. We hear a lot these days about rideshare missions. The recent SpaceX Transporter 6 mission carried 114 payloads into orbit. But each of those payloads needed a way to reach its assigned orbit. Impulse Space Propulsion is a Space 2.0 company providing those last-mile space payload delivery capabilities. For LEO Express-1, Impulse has procured a launch slot for this mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-9 mission and is committed to meeting the current launch timeline of Q4 2023. Impulse will be among the first companies to demonstrate rapid in-space transportation services through high-thrust chemical propulsion. While the primary payload of LEO Express-1 is currently undisclosed, there is additional payload space available for secondary customers to join the mission. A Mars mission is also in the planning stages. Barry Matsumori was named COO of Impulse Space in March, 2022. He has an extensive background in the mobile wireless and Space 2.0 sectors spanning numerous leadership roles, among them serving as senior vice president of business development and advanced concepts at Virgin Galactic, senior vice president of sales and business development at SpaceX and nearly two decades at Qualcomm, where he was vice president of wireless connectivity. He has also worked with several early-stage technology companies in development and management capacities. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.

Marketing for Space Commerce is one of the aspects of our business that sometimes seems to fall through the cracks, but no matter what your business, companies need to find ways to reach their customers. It’s just fundamental. If you want to sell something, you have to find a buyer. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Michael Daily, CEO of Communications Metrics, a PR and Communications firm focused in part on helping space companies find their audience. Communication Metrics provides commercial and civil space and defense businesses, organizations, and agencies with enterprise-wide public relations and strategic communications solutions. Marketing for Space Commerce Requires a Comprehensive Approach Communication Metrics Incorporated (CMI) is a firm specializing in NewSpace public relations, strategic communications, and stakeholder relations. CMI contributes to the improvement of its clients’ conditions, helps to enhance the productivity and quality of its people, and assists in increasing the success and profitability of its operations. The company’s all-inclusive approach leverages integrated marketing channels with a common message to ignite growth. According to Daily, they analyze your business model and create campaigns orchestrated to meet your goals. The team implements traditional and digital strategies that account for the entire consumer journey. Our approach has a significant focus on delivering measurable results. Daily brings 26+ years of organizational communications experience with significant accomplishments to his marketing for space commerce efforts. Among those accomplishments is the development of an online course “NewSpace Business and Industry Ecosystem.” The course is designed to introduce multiple audiences, with interest in the commercial, civil, and defense space industry, to stakeholder engagement theory, planning, tools, techniques, and processes. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public. 00:00 - Start 00:14 - Introduction of Michael Daily 00:44 - Communications Metrics 01:26 - Michael's background 02:32 - Motivation 04:00 - Defense to commercial challenges 06:27 - NASA, help or hurt commercial efforts? 08:42 - Expectations 10:25 - Importance of marketing, branding & communications 12:16 - Traditional vs. Social Media info 14:52 - Metrics 17:22 - Audience 20:09 - Clients 24:46 - Narrative 25:43 - Other audiences 27:20 - Company PR 30:02 - Consistency 30:40 - "Elevator speech" 38:29 - Look out 10-15 yrs what do you see in Space Commerce?

European startup Space Cargo Unlimited is developing REV1, the first orbital manufacturing facility, targeting launch in 2025. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Nicolas Gaume, the co-founder and CEO of the company. Space Cargo Unlimited plans to commercially operate a fleet of autonomous (i.e. unmanned) cargo vehicles capable of returning to Earth in order to exploit the potential of microgravity for commercial applications on Earth. The REV1 pressurized vehicle -a real floating space factory- will be used for specific missions, especially in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and new materials. REV1 will be able to create unique laboratory conditions and real clean rooms essential for this type of research and manufacturing. The first REV1 vehicle, scheduled for launch in late 2025, will need to be able to adapt to any available and compatible launcher system. This last feature will make it unique to carry out new missions, especially in an equatorial orbit. Designed to be reusable for a total of 20 missions, the REV1 will carry payloads for 2-3 months in space. REV1 Space Factory being developed by Space Cargo Unlimited and Thales Alenia Space. This partnership agreement fully reflects Thales Alenia Space’s ‘New Space’ approach, which includes creating more and more synergies with start-ups and offering disruptive solutions, such as REV1, the first Space Factory, to evolve existing models. In the field of space exploration, Thales Alenia Space has already signed partnerships with emblematic start-ups. Moreover, the goal of the project initiated with Space Cargo Unlimited is perfectly in line with Thales Alenia Space’s ‘Space for life’ vision, by helping to make life better and more sustainable on Earth thanks to space. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public. 00:00 - Start 00:13 - Intro Nicolas Gaume 00:46 - What is Space Cargo Unlimited? 01:36 - About Nicolas 02:35 - ISS Research Update 07:13 - Collaboration with Thales Alenia 08:19 - What is REV1? 09:14 - REV1 size 10:26 - What types of manufacturing can be done? 15:05 - Space Manufacturing 16:43 - When will it launch? 17:31 - Technology of space manufacturing 20:38 - Compatible launch systems 21:59 - Update on Orbite 24:46 - What do you see in Space Commerce over the next 10-15 yrs

European startup Space Cargo Unlimited is developing REV1, the first orbital manufacturing facility, targeting launch in 2025. On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Nicolas Gaume, the co-founder and CEO of the company. Space Cargo Unlimited plans to commercially operate a fleet of autonomous (i.e. unmanned) cargo vehicles capable of returning to Earth in order to exploit the potential of microgravity for commercial applications on Earth. The REV1 pressurized vehicle -a real floating space factory- will be used for specific missions, especially in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and new materials. REV1 will be able to create unique laboratory conditions and real clean rooms essential for this type of research and manufacturing. The first REV1 vehicle, scheduled for launch in late 2025, will need to be able to adapt to any available and compatible launcher system. This last feature will make it unique to carry out new missions, especially in an equatorial orbit. Designed to be reusable for a total of 20 missions, the REV1 will carry payloads for 2-3 months in space. REV1 Space Factory being developed by Space Cargo Unlimited and Thales Alenia Space. This partnership agreement fully reflects Thales Alenia Space’s ‘New Space’ approach, which includes creating more and more synergies with start-ups and offering disruptive solutions, such as REV1, the first Space Factory, to evolve existing models. In the field of space exploration, Thales Alenia Space has already signed partnerships with emblematic start-ups. Moreover, the goal of the project initiated with Space Cargo Unlimited is perfectly in line with Thales Alenia Space’s ‘Space for life’ vision, by helping to make life better and more sustainable on Earth thanks to space. How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public. 00:00 - Start 00:13 - Intro Nicolas Guame 00:46 - What is Space Cargo Unlimited? 01:36 - About Nicolas 02:35 - ISS Research Update 07:13 - Collaboration with Thales Alenia 08:19 - What is REV1? 09:14 - REV1 size 10:26 - What types of manufacturing can be done? 15:05 - Space Manufacturing 16:43 - When will it launch? 17:31 - Technology of space manufacturing 20:38 - Compatible launch systems 21:59 - Update on Orbite 24:46 - What do you see in Space Commerce over the next 10-15 yrs