In this episode of Space Minds, host Jeff Foust moderates the panel "Evolution of Multi-Mission Orbital Vehicles" recorded live on July 24 at the AIAA Ascend conference. The Panelists include:- Colonel Owen Stephens, Director of Contracting, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, U.S. Space Force- Seth Lacy, Senior Scientist for Space Mobility and Precision Maneuver, AFRL, U.S. Space Force- Michael Creech, VP of Strategy and Business Development, Firefly Aerospace- Israel "Fig" Figueroa, Director of N...
Aug 07, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 37
n this week’s episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss speaks with SpaceNews Senior Staff Writer and Business Intelligence Manager Jason Rainbow about the white paper, Understanding the SpaceX-Era Economy, released from our new product brand SpaceNews Intelligence.The conversation kicks off with a deep dive into SpaceX’s overwhelming dominance in the launch market and explores how the company’s relentless push for innovation—especially through reusability and the ambitious Starship program—is red...
Jul 31, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 36
In this bonus edition of Space Minds, host David Ariosto moderates the panel "Mission to Market: The Evolution of CLPS" at the AIAA Ascend conference. The panelists include: - Tim Crain, Chief Technology Officer, Intuitive Machines- Tyler Mundt, Executive Vice President, Engineering, ispace US- Thierry Klein, President, Bell Labs Solutions Research, Nokia Bell Labs.
Jul 30, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In this bonus edition of Space Minds, host David Ariosto speaks with Robyn Gatens, NASA's Director for the International Space Station, live at the AIAA Ascend conference in Las Vegas on the status of the International Space Station, its planned decommissioning by 2030 and the expected follow-on commercial space stations.
Jul 25, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In this week’s special episode of Space Minds coming to you a day early, host Mike Gruss speaks with Heather Pringle, CEO of the Space Foundation on the just released Space Report 2025 Q2 edition and the top three takeaways including the news that the global space economy hit a new record in 2024.They discuss the remarkable 7.8% annual growth rate, the rise of commercial space, and how key developments like Golden Dome, launch frequency acceleration, and international investment are driving the ...
Jul 23, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 33
In this week’s episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss is joined by Matthew Weinzierl, Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research at Harvard Business School, and Brendan Rosseau, Strategy Manager, New Glenn at Blue Origin, for a deep dive into the forces reshaping the global space economy as outlined in their book Space to Grow.Drawing from their new book Space to Grow, the pair discusses how market dynamics, shifting public-sector priorities, and defense investment...
Jul 17, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 32
In this week’s episode of Space Minds, award-winning science fiction author and physicist David Brin joins host David Ariosto for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of space, science, and humanity. From self-replicating probes and quantum sensing to moving Earth’s orbit and the true role of science fiction, Brin offers bold ideas grounded in decades of speculative thought and hard science. He challenges conventional wisdom on the Artemis program, discusses the risks and promises of artifi...
Jul 10, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In this week’s episode of Space Minds David Ariosto sits down Nathalie Cabrol, Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute who explains why the Red Planet may hold answers about extraterrestrial life as well as our own origins.Our conversation explores the potential for life on Mars, the implications of exoplanet discoveries, and how AI is transforming our understanding of habitability. She challenges our assumptions about intelligence, consciousness, and the very nature of life itse...
Jun 26, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In this week’s episode of Space Minds David Ariosto sits down with Chris Stott, Chair and CEO of Lonestar Data Holdings who explains how lunar storage could be humanity's best defense against a digital catastrophe.The discussions delves into the company’s efforts to establish data infrastructure beyond Earth, including the deployment of early-stage hardware and software in lunar orbit. Our conversation with Stott examines the challenges and implications of creating off-world data centers, and co...
Jun 19, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In this week's episode of Space Minds, we explore how microgravity accelerates aging—and guest Dr. Nadia Maroouf shares her insights on the phenomenon and what she’s doing to help protect astronauts.Dr. Maroouf is a clinical scientist and analog astronaut. From simulating life on Mars at the Mars Desert Research Station to exploring healthcare technologies for astronauts, Dr. Maroouf shares how innovations developed for space can help medicine here on Earth. Our host David Ariosto and Dr. Maroou...
Jun 12, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In this week's episode of Space Minds Retired Space Force Lt. Gen. John Shaw explains what it was like building a new military branch, the risks of commercial integration and the race to protect U.S. satellites in orbit. General Shaw shares some of the history on the formation of the Space Force and its cultural shift away from the Air Force, to the growing influence of commercial players like SpaceX and the conversation dives deep into the challenges and opportunities of the “Third Space Age.” ...
Jun 05, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In this week's episode of Space Minds Ashley Johnson, President and CFO of Planet, explains the company's ambitious goal to make global change visible, accessible and actionable.From imaging every point on the planet daily to leveraging AI and hyperspectral data, Ashley unpacks Planet’s mission to make global change visible, accessible, and actionable.She dives into the company's unique ability to "look left"—analyzing historical satellite imagery to understand events before they happen—and high...
May 29, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 25
This is a bonus edition of Space Minds by SpaceNews. This week we’re at the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation GEOINT Symposium in St. Louis where we’ll post episodes Monday through Wednesday.Our guest today is Devin Brande, Director, Commercial Operations, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He sits down with Chief Content and Strategy Officer Mike Gruss to break down the latest news and insights from the event.
May 21, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 24
This is a bonus edition of Space Minds by SpaceNews. This week we’re at the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation GEOINT Symposium in St. Louis where we’ll post episodes Monday through Wednesday.Our guest today is Keith Masback, Principal Consultant of Plum Run, LLC. He sits down with Chief Content and Strategy Officer Mike Gruss to break down the latest news and insights from the event.
May 21, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 23
This is a bonus edition of Space Minds by SpaceNews. This week we’re at the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation GEOINT Symposium in St. Louis where we’ll post episodes Monday through Wednesday.Our guest today is Robert Cardillo, president of the Cardillo Group. He sits down with Chief Content and Strategy Officer Mike Gruss to break down the latest news and insights from the event.
May 21, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 22
This is a bonus edition of Space Minds by SpaceNews. This week we’re at the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation GEOINT Symposium in St. Louis where we’ll record post episodes Monday through Wednesday.Our guest today is Ronda Schrenk, CEO of the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation. She sits down with Chief Content and Strategy Officer Mike Gruss, to break down the latest news and insights from the event.
May 19, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In this week's episode of Space Minds Mamta Patel Nagaraja - NASA's former associate chief scientist-offers an insider's look at how science priorities are set, what gets cut and what the future holds for research aboard the ISS and beyond. In our conversation with Nagaraja she reflects on her time at the agency, her unexpected layoff, and the broader implications of the current shift in the U.S. space landscape. She explains her role and that of the Office of Chief Scientist in advising NASA le...
May 15, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In this week's episode of Space Minds, former Navy captain, shuttle astronaut, and current president of the Space Operating Group at ASRC Federal, Scooter Altman, reflects on his remarkable career—from performing stunts in Top Gun to commanding space missions—and shares his insights on why Mars represents humanity's next great leap.In the conversation Altman begins by sharing his experience performing aerial stunts for the movie Top Gun, offering a glimpse into the crossover between military avi...
May 08, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In this week's episode of Space Minds, Bhavya Lal, the former acting Chief Technologist at NASA explains how nuclear power could unlock humanity's next giant leap in space.Our interview with Bhavya Lal, a prominent voice in space policy, delves deeply into the conversation around nuclear power in space. It begins with a historical overview, citing projects like Orion and NERVA from the 1950s and 60s that envisioned nuclear propulsion for interplanetary missions. Lal underscores how nuclear space...
May 01, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In this week's episode of Space Minds, Lori Garver, former NASA Deputy Administrator sits down with host David Ariosto. Garver describes what drives spaceflight-and what that means for the agency's shifting priorities. In this conversation Garver delves into the evolving landscape of U.S. space policy, particularly against the backdrop of political dynamics, commercialization, and shifting priorities within NASA. Garver reflects on the continuity and changes in NASA’s approach, highlighting endu...
Apr 24, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In this week's episode of Space Minds, Bill Nye, CEO of the Planetary Society sits down with host David Ariosto. The conversation starts with Bill's journey but quickly pivots to the proposed science budget cuts at NASA.In this conversation, Bill Nye reflects on the current state of space exploration, describing it as the most exciting period since the Apollo era due to the surge in rocket launches, commercial space ventures, and ambitious scientific missions. He emphasizes the importance of NAS...
Apr 17, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 16
This is a bonus edition of Space Minds by SpaceNews. This week we're at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs where we'll record an episode Monday through Thursday. Our guest today is Brad Head, Managing Director of International Partnerships at Elara Nova. He sits down with Chief Content and Strategy Officer Mike Gruss to break down the latest news and insights from the Symposium including a conversation on global collaboration and the evolving commercial space landscape.
Apr 10, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 15
This is a bonus edition of Space Minds by SpaceNews. This week we're at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs where we'll record an episode Monday through Thursday .Our guest today is Kari Bingen, senior fellow at the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She sits down with Chief Content and Strategy Officer Mike Gruss, to break down the latest news and insights from the Symposium focusing on defense.
Apr 09, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This is a bonus edition of Space Minds by SpaceNews. This week we're at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs where we'll record an episode Monday through Thursday. Our guest today is Clay Mowry, CEO, AIAA. He sits down with Chief Content and Strategy Officer Mike Gruss, to break down the latest news and insights from the Symposium. About Space Minds Space Minds is a new audio and video podcast from SpaceNews that focuses on the inspiring leaders, technologies and exciting opportunities in spa...
Apr 08, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 13
This is a bonus edition of Space Minds by SpaceNews. This week we're at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs where we'll record an episode Monday through Thursday. Our guest today is Krystal Azelton, Senior Director of Program Planning at Secure World Foundation. She sits down with Chief Content and Strategy Officer Mike Gruss, to break down the latest news and insights from the Symposium.
Apr 07, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In this week's episode of Space Minds, Luca Rossettini, Founder and CEO of D-Orbit sits down with host David Ariosto. The conversation starts with Luca's journey from aspiring astronaut to space industry entrepreneur. Luca recounts his experience working at NASA Ames, his near-success in becoming an astronaut in Europe, and his subsequent decision to build D-Orbit. He outlines the company’s mission to develop a logistics infrastructure capable of transporting goods, people, information, and ener...
Apr 03, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this week's episode of Space Minds, Sara Alvarado, Executive Director for the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, known as SEDS, sits down with host David Ariosto. In this conversation, Alvarado, shares insights on her organization’s role in nurturing the next generation of space professionals. She highlights the student-led nature of SEDS, which supports innovative collegiate projects such as reusable rocketry and CubeSat missions. Alvarado emphasizes the importance of com...
Mar 27, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this week's episode of Space Minds, Richard DalBello, Principal, RDB Space and the recently retired Director of the Office of Space Commerce sits down with host David Ariosto.Our conversation with Richard DalBello primarily explores the evolution of space commercialization and the role of government and private sectors in shaping the industry's trajectory. DalBello, having worked across multiple U.S. administrations, provides historical context on how space commerce transitioned from a niche ...
Mar 21, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this week's episode of Space Minds, Dan Smoot, CEO of Maxar Intelligence sits down with host David Ariosto.Our conversation with Dan Smoot delves into the capabilities and significance of geospatial intelligence, particularly as leveraged by his company, Maxar. Smoot explains how advanced satellite imaging provides crucial insights for national security, disaster response, and commercial applications. He highlights how Maxar's satellite imagery played a key role in tracking military movements...
Mar 13, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this week's episode of Space Minds, Tony Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance, sits down with host Mike Gruss. What excites Tony Bruno about Vulcan, what scares him about China, and what ranching has taught him about space.The conversation with Bruno focuses on the development of the Vulcan rocket and its strategic importance. Bruno recounts the initial decision to move away from Russian RD-180 engines due to geopolitical concerns, the challenges of selecting a new engine, and the importance ...
Mar 06, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 7
