“I think the rubber is really going to meet the road,” Umbra COO Todd Master told Payload. “A lot of interesting tech got put into space. The question now is what of that data actually is needed by customers—that customers are willing to pay for?”
“I’m very hopeful that the case the Space Force marks means a lot of that money will come back into our budget,” he said, adding that the Trump administration’s “Golden Dome” missile defense proposal could actually lead to national security space programs getting more resources.
“Our nation is at a turning point where we face international competition from China, we have the opportunity to promote international cooperation with our partner nations, and we are witnessing radical change in the commercial space sector,” the 28 astronauts wrote in the letter, which was shared last weekend. “We believe that Jared Isaacman is uniquely qualified to lead NASA at this critical juncture.”
Two US companies have proved that industry can land on the Moon. Now, startups are tackling the next challenge: keeping those missions running for years instead of weeks.
The demo involved Star Catcher’s system collecting solar energy, then transmitting it more than 100 meters to standard solar arrays—the longest distance power transfer the startup has attempted so far.
The State Department is asking industry how it can better support American space startups, and it’s looking to kick off the conversation at Space Symposium next month.
The list includes nearly three dozen to-dos for government agencies ranging from the DoD to the FAA to NASA.
“People have business models and revenues they need to generate,” Kim said, adding that he’s been getting “a lot of inquiries” from potential commercial customers after Blue Ghost’s flight. “They can depend on Firefly to take a pragmatic approach and stick the landing and get multiple days of surface operations.”
Israeli satcom firm Gilat Satellite Networks is preparing to move hundreds of employees to the US as part of its new defense division, according to Gilad Landsberg, the head of the new division.
The Trump administration’s executive order requiring agencies to justify non-essential travel in a bid to cut costs was a top conversation topic at the Satellite conference in DC this week.
“When that was written, it was inaccurate. As we sit here today, it is certainly overtaken by events.”
“If you want private capital flowing into specific sectors, that’s a very good way to encourage it,” Morales said. “Just tell startups that if they build what you want, you’ll buy it and then buy it. It’s that simple.”
