🛰️ The reduction in launch costs and proliferation of satellites have made all kinds of new businesses possible, including Starfish! Our Co-founder Austin Link joined Ben Gilbert at Acquired to discuss the exciting developments in the space industry, and how Starfish is contributing. Listen in!
It's been too long since we covered rockets, satellites, and the physics of space.
Austin Link joins us to give the 2024 space industry update and share what Starfish Space is up to with their self-driving satellite (that docks with other satellites).
https://lnkd.in/gpHxgXj2
This was a great listen! As a former member of a University CubeSat team, I can really relate to the issues the sector is facing from launch capacity constraints. Slot availability was a huge factor in how we were able to determine our launch dates.
Have you heard of a company that went from $0 to $6.6 billion in revenue in the last 4 years? 🚀
I just listened to the ACQ2 podcast on "The Space Industry in 2024, and How to Build a Satellite Company" (https://lnkd.in/gVJvVTeZ).
Apparently, according to an independent report, SpaceX's Starlink is on track to generate $6.6 billion revenue in 2024! That's bonkers! 🤯
Some other really interesting insights from the podcast :
1. Buying a SpaceX launch slot is easier than buying a plane ticket. I think that says more about how sad the airline industry is, and how it has not really kept up with modern times.
"It’s very slick. I bought a SpaceX launch slot within the last several months. They sent me a link to go to this website to buy a slot. And I said, are you telling me buying a rocket slot is going to be like buying a plane ticket? Then it was EASIER than buying a plane ticket. We had a 15 minute meeting to buy a slot for our satellite to go on the rocket, and the last 10 minutes was just us looking at each other - “Was it really this easy? This is all we have to do?” … … It was amazing. It was so fast."
2. A space renaissance has been quietly happening in the last decade. Demand for launches is going through the roof.
"SpaceX had almost a hundred launches with the Falcon 9 last year. Launch rates are reaching a cadence they haven’t hit worldwide since the Cold War. That’s because of what SpaceX is doing with the Falcon 9. And even though launch rates are hitting that cadence, I have a hard time buying a launch, because the waiting list is really long, because there are so many people signing up to launch their satellites to space."
3. Production cycles are still really long, but hopefully, the industry is getting onto a path of hyper-improvement like the early days of personal computers and smartphones. You can see this with Starlink where they are already on v3 of their satellites after just 4 years.
"There are a lot of things that take a long time in our industry. And one is, you have to schedule your launches a long time out, but two is, there is a lot of components that we order, that they have a 12 month lead time to ordering those components."
The podcast also touched briefly on a few interesting ideas if we can open up the space frontier - life-saving SOS calls from anywhere in the world powered by satellites, 24 hour solar energy generation and beaming it down to Earth, space manufacturing of nanofibers, asteroid mining for rare earth and minerals, building a permanent human base on the moon, earth and space observation etc.
Very exciting to see how we are pushing the space frontier again. The podcast is definitely well worth listening if you're a space geek like me!
[Full disclosure - I'm long and very biased towards SpaceX / Starlink, as you can probably tell]
#spaceindustry#SpaceX#Starlink#onegiantleapformankind
The space economy is transitioning from the Apollo era to the era of Artemis.
In episode 176 of #ConstellationsPodcast, we spoke with Kelli Kedis Ogborn of the Space Foundation. The discussion covered key market drivers in the changing landscape of the space economy, the growing international interest in space, and why there’s never been a better time to become part of the space ecosystem.
Listen now: https://lnkd.in/g-Wz8QFC#space#spaceeconomy#satellite
SpaceX has emerged as the clear low-Earth orbit leader, as it both flies the most rockets and builds the most satellites. Investors, however, have poured money into rocket and satellite startups around the globe in a bid to foment competition and capture their own slice of the space boom.
The frenetic race to fill low-Earth orbit haven’t always been pretty. We’ve already seen rocket makers like Virgin Orbit fold and sell off their assets. Astra Space, another ambitious rocket startup, is in the midst of being taken private as it tries to keep alive its hope of launching a rocket every day. Both companies were once worth billions of dollars during the height of the space startup IPO craze that took place a couple of years ago. Meanwhile, even giants like Amazon have found that building huge constellations of satellites is beyond difficult.
The public is witnessing a race to pump the skies full of communications, imaging and science satellites, and these machines will have profound implications on our privacy, the health of our planet and the next evolution of our computing infrastructure. It’s heady, important stuff.
#space#spacedevelopment#lowearthorbit#businessdevelopment#satellite#infrastructure#businessstrategy#investmentstrategy
🚀✨ Interesting insights on the future of space infrastructure from Colin Doughan, CEO of Gravitics, a Seattle-based startup pioneering artificial gravity modules for space stations.
Great analogy of the first launch of the iPhone to highlight the potential commercial applications in space once the infrastructure is up and running. 🛸🌎
Gravitics' positioning as an interoperable infrastructure building block aims to be the core platform used by corporations, startups, and governments to accelerate new use case developments at decreased costs.
What do you think will be the first commercial applications (outside of Defense) to really scale in space, and which startups are the most advanced in developing these new use cases (like Varda Space Industries)?
Check Colin's interview on the Pathfinder podcast from Payload here 👇
https://lnkd.in/gJfk_KnV
Why Space, Why Now: Crossing the final frontier 🛰 🌌
If you're just joining us, welcome to Episode 1 of the Generation Space podcast.
In this inaugural episode, we had the pleasure of hosting Mark Boggett, CEO of Seraphim Space, and Will Whitehorn, Chair of Seraphim Space Investment Trust. Together, we explored the dynamic SpaceTech landscape and delved into the intricate satellite ecosystem that is rapidly evolving above Earth's atmosphere.
From disrupting traditional industries to creating a trillion-dollar market opportunity, the space sector is undeniably reshaping the fabric of our society. Don't miss out on this riveting discussion that highlights the immense potential and impact of space exploration on a global scale 🚀
Tune in now to catch up on Episode 1, and stay tuned for more thought-provoking conversations on Generation Space🎙️
#spacetech#podcast#futureofspace#generationspace
With the new year upon us, there are many exciting opportunities on the horizon — perhaps nowhere more so than in space. I recently joined Morgan L Brennan on her podcast, Manifest Space, to discuss AIA’s top priorities for space advocacy, my role on NASA’s Users Advisory Group, and how we can capitalize on these opportunities for economic growth and national security.
Top of mind for me: Making sure we have the workforce needed to maintain U.S. leadership in space, advance technology, and improve how we use the space domain. We’re also thinking about how we can find a balance between encouraging innovation and maintaining safety in space. So far, the space domain is not in the same place as commercial aviation. We need to jump ahead and continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. 🚀🌌
Listen to this episode here or wherever you get your podcasts ➡ https://cnb.cx/3NQHPM5
The 1960 Philco Predicta Debutante Playing There Were Giants in the Earth, Lost In Space, Episode aired Oct 6, 1965. William a expert on Philco Company said, the Predicta was not developed for the Holiday Inn chain in 58! Do to poor design and Philcos financial problems the Predicta was discontued in 65 when Ford bought out the company. The balance of unsold units were then sold to Holiday Inn. The Club Philco Predicta administrator Blake said this model Debutante was from the 1960 and was the model that was very much created for consumer sales. it is it was only later sold in masse to the Holiday Inn in 1965 when Ford bought out the company as a marriage of low cost convenience and marketing schtick. The Stars in the video: Guy Williams as Dr. John Robinson, June Lockhart as Maureen Robinson, Mark Goddard as Major Don West, Marta Kristen as Judy Robinson, Bill Mumy as Will Robinson, Angela Cartwright as Penny Robinson, Jonathan Harris as Dr. Zachary Smith, Judy the Chimpanzee as Debbie the Bloop, Lamar Lundy as the The Giant Cyclops, Robert 'Big Buck' Maffei, Bob May as The Robot, Dick Tufeld, The Robot voice.
In 1959 Philco Predicta made in several models by the Philco Company in the late 1950s. The Predicta was marketed as the world’s first swivel screen television. The Predicta had a thinner picture tube than many other televisions at the time, which led it to be marketed as a more futuristic television set. Predicta television sets were constructed with a variety of cabinet configurations, some detachable, but all separate from the tube itself and connected by wires. Initially introduced in 1958 and rolled out for general consumers shortly thereafter, the Predicta was discontinued in the early 1960s. The age of Sputnik, Space age Television, Late 1950s TV designs, Modern design, futuristic TV, Lost in Space, In 1959, Philco introduced three 17-inch tabletop Predictas, called the Siesta, Princess, and Debutante. The Siesta, with a clock timer, was the top model. The Princess was the same TV minus the clock. The Debutante, as the name suggests, was an entry-level set. Space Age Television. #philcopredicta#debutante#spaceagetv#philcotv#lostinspace
CU Boulder Graduate with BS in Mechanical Engineering, Eagle Scout
4moThis was a great listen! As a former member of a University CubeSat team, I can really relate to the issues the sector is facing from launch capacity constraints. Slot availability was a huge factor in how we were able to determine our launch dates.