EPISODE SUMMARY
Our guest this week is Tim Kienberger, CEO of LeoStella. This company, a joint venture between Thales Alenia Space and BlackSky, specializes in building cost-effective and scalable small satellites.
EPISODE NOTES
Our guest this week, Tim Kienberger, has been at the forefront of the industry’s evolution from large-scale satellite buses to the small satellite revolution. As the current CEO of LeoStella, a joint venture between Thales Alenia Space and BlackSky, he is helping the company redefine small satellite manufacturing.
In today’s episode, Tim reveals insights into the production of small satellites and the unique challenges of managing a joint venture. In addition, we discuss:
- LeoStella’s origin story
- Cislunar spacecraft needs
- The impact of Starship on small satellites
- Scaling challenges of small sat startups
And much more…
• Chapters •
00:00 – Introduction
00:22 – Tim’s career overview
02:40 – Thales/Blacksky JV
06:56 – Core offerings and customer makeup
09:01 – Current demand
12:19 – Product roadmap
14:03 – Capability needs from LEO to cislunar
17:53 – Government customers
19:50 – Balancing customization vs standardization
23:18 – Production hurdles
26:16 – Competitive landscape
27:36 – Challenges for new startups
31:32 – Impact of Starship on the small sat market
40:18 – Long-term funding needs
42:19 – What would Tim be doing if he wasn’t in the space industry