Space Minds

In this episode of Space Minds, Mike Gruss sits down with a panel of experts at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center to discuss the future of the United States Space Force. He's joined by Susanne Hake from Vantor, John Plumb from K2 Space, and Dennis Woodfork from the Johns Hopkins University. As part of an event at the Center's Discovery Series, they explored the problems congestion on orbit creates, where the Space Force needs to focus next and possible application for AI.About Space MindsSpace Minds is a new audio and video podcast from SpaceNews that focuses on the inspiring leaders, technologies and exciting opportunities in space.This weekly podcast features compelling interviews with scientists, founders and experts who love to talk about space, covers the news that has enthusiasts daydreaming, and engages with listeners. Join David Ariosto, Mike Gruss and journalists from the SpaceNews team for new episodes every Thursday.Space Minds Podcasthttps://spacenews.com/space-minds-podcast/Sign up for a SpaceNews newsletterhttps://spacenews.com/newsletters

In this episode of Space Minds, SpaceNews senior staff writer Sandra Erwin sits down with Gen. Shawn Bratton, vice chair of space operations for the U.S. Space Force for a fireside chat at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. In the next installment of the Center's Discovery Series, they explored where the Space Force is headed for 2040, the debate over refueling satellites and how Bratton came to join the military.Space Minds is a new audio and video podcast from SpaceNews that focuses on the inspiring leaders, technologies and exciting opportunities in space.This weekly podcast features compelling interviews with scientists, founders and experts who love to talk about space, covers the news that has enthusiasts daydreaming, and engages with listeners. Join David Ariosto, Mike Gruss and journalists from the SpaceNews team for new episodes every Thursday.Space Minds Podcasthttps://spacenews.com/space-minds-podcast/Sign up for a SpaceNews newsletterhttps://spacenews.com/newsletters/

In this episode of Space Minds, SpaceNews host David Ariosto talks with Chiara Manfletti, the CEO of Neuraspace and a professor of space mobility and propulsion at the Technical University of Munich. They discuss space debris, orbital logistics and managing a new orbital economy through new initiatives in Europe and around the world.

In this special episode of Space Minds, our show is split into two segments from the recent SpaceNews annual Icon Awards.In our first segment, SpaceNews correspondent Debra Werner sits down with Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, to discuss the company’s Blue Ghost Mission 1—an award-winning lunar landing that delivered multiple NASA payloads to the Moon and marked a major milestone for commercial lunar explorationIn the second segment, senior staff writer Jeff Foust moderates a panel discussion with several other award recipients, bringing together leaders from policy, science, and technology. The conversation features Casey Dreier of The Planetary Society, JPL Fellow Steve Chien, Ubotica Technologies co-founder Aubrey Dunne, and NASA’s Roger Hunter, exploring themes ranging from artificial intelligence in space operations to the evolving policy landscape shaping the future of exploration.

In this episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss is joined by SpaceNews journalists Jason Rainbow, Sandra Erwin, Jeff Foust and Debra Werner for a wide-ranging conversation on the space stories that will define the year ahead.The panel examines intensifying competition in satellite broadband and direct-to-device connectivity, the future of NASA and Artemis under new leadership, rising defense and security demands, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence across space systems. Together, they offer their insight into the policy, commercial, and technological shifts shaping the global space economy.

In this episode of Space Minds, host David Ariosto speaks with Juan Alonso — CTO and Co-founder of Luminary Cloud and professor at Stanford University — about the rapid transformation underway in aerospace engineering.Alonso breaks down how advances in computational fluid dynamics and physics AI are enabling designers to simulate complex aerodynamic behavior in seconds, dramatically accelerating how rockets, aircraft, and hypersonic systems are conceived and tested.

In this episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss talks with Dr. Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo about what he calls "almost a watershed year" for the Space Development Agency. Sandhoo breaks down SDA’s major technical breakthroughs in 2025—ranging from successful hypersonic missile tracking in low Earth orbit to demonstrating space-based Link 16 tactical communications and completing the first-ever optical space-to-air laser link.

In this episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss moderates a timely panel discussion at the Spacepower conference on how commercial space capabilities are reshaping national security, civil space, and military decision-making.Joined by Luke Fischer (CEO and co-founder, SkyFi), Bob Pavelko (Intuitive Machines), and Bradley Cheetham (CEO and co-founder, Advanced Space), the conversation explores what “speed” really means in today’s space environment—and why delivering usable capability now often matters more than waiting for perfect solutions later.

In this episode of Space Minds, host Sandra Erwin sits down with former NASA astronaut and Space Force leader Brig. Gen. Nick Hague for a wide-ranging conversation on how the U.S. Space Force is shaping its culture, training Guardians, and preparing for future conflict in space.Hague reflects on his journey from the International Space Station to the Pentagon, where he now helps oversee operations, readiness, and policy for America’s newest military service. The discussion explores what “test” really means in the Space Force, how risk and speed are balanced, and why continuous learning is essential to maintaining space superiority.

In this episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss sits down with Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, one of the U.S. Space Force’s most influential acquisition leaders and recipient of the SpaceNews Icon Award for Military Space Achievement.Purdy discusses how 2025 is shaping up to be a defining year for Space Systems Command (SSC) and why this past year represented a major shift toward the “ground game”—software, training systems, and modernized infrastructure. He describes how Guardians are driving adoption of AI tools, how SSC is integrating commercial innovation at unprecedented speed, and why this current wave of acquisition reform may finally stick.

In this episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss sits down with Matt Magaña, president of space, defense and national Security at Voyager Technologies, to explore one of the most consequential national security space stories of 2025: Golden Dome.Magaña lays out why this initiative represents a major inflection point for U.S. missile defense, requiring a truly integrated system-of-systems approach to track, target and defeat emerging threats such as hypersonic weapons.

In this episode of Space Minds, former NASA commercial space division chief Phil McAlister sits down with host David Ariosto for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of human spaceflight, NASA’s internal culture, and the explosive growth of the commercial space sector.McAlister spent nearly 20 years inside NASA, helping spearhead programs like Commercial Crew and COTS, which paved the way for SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, and a new era of public-private partnerships. He shares stories about internal resistance, political battles, and what it took to shift NASA away from cost-plus contracting after decades of inertia.We also dive into:• Whether the U.S. is really in a “space race” with China• Why the moon’s South Pole may not be first-come, first-served• The sustainability crisis facing SLS, Orion, and Artemis• The role of commercial companies in deep space—not just LEO• How Starship, New Glenn, and private human spaceflight change everything• Whether NASA is destined to become more like the FAA• What the next 50 years in space might actually look like

In this episode of Space Minds, Senior Staff Writer Jeff Foust moderates a panel at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, the next installment of the Center’s Discovery Series.The panel brings together leaders from Astrobotic, Apex, Johns Hopkins APL and Stoke Space to explore how ideas once confined to the pages of science fiction are rapidly becoming reality. From commercial lunar landers and factory-scale satellite production to nuclear-powered rotorcraft bound for Titan and fully reusable rockets designed to fly daily, the space industry is undergoing a transformative moment.The panel discusses the technologies driving this surge—lower-cost launch, advanced autonomy, shrinking spacecraft, and the rise of a vibrant commercial ecosystem. They also examine the future of lunar infrastructure, in-orbit manufacturing, national security needs, and the growing competitive pressure from China. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about innovation, challenges, and the new frontiers emerging as space becomes more accessible than ever.

In this episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss sits down with Marshall Smith, CEO of Starlab Space for a fireside chat at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, the next installment of the Center’s Discovery Series.In the fireside chat, they explored how today’s commercial space pioneers are turning concepts once rooted in science fiction into operational reality.Smith reflects on his path from NASA engineer to leading the development of a next-generation commercial space station—one designed for science, manufacturing, and a future where private industry drives a sustainable economy in low Earth orbit. From market demand to design philosophy to the race toward a 2029 launch, Smith explains why he believes continuous human presence in space is essential, and how innovations in microgravity research and AI-driven operations could redefine what’s possible both on orbit and on Earth.

In this episode of Space Minds, host David Ariosto speaks with Jim Bridenstine, former NASA Administrator and U.S. Congressman, who oversaw the launch of the Artemis program—America’s renewed effort to return astronauts to the Moon.Now Managing Partner of the Artemis Group, Bridenstine discusses the intersection of politics, policy, and innovation shaping the modern space race. From government shutdowns and funding instability to U.S.-China competition and the future of lunar commercialization, he shares candid insights on why America’s leadership in space depends on sustaining investment, fostering commercial partnerships, and inspiring a new generation through science and exploration.

In this episode of Space Minds, host David Ariosto speaks with Max Haot, CEO of Vast, the ambitious aerospace company based in Long Beach, California, one of a very few companies working diligently towards the first commercial space station. Just days after the successful launch of Vast’s pathfinder mission, Haot shares what it was like to see their Haven demo spacecraft come to life in orbit — from tense moments in the control room to the triumph of first contact. We talk about their next big step, Haven-1, set to become one of the first privately built, human-rated orbital habitat, and how Vast plans to ensure a seamless transition from the International Space Station to a new era of commercial space infrastructure. Haot also discusses safety, competition, and the future business of living and working in low Earth orbit — all part of Vast’s vision to make space permanently accessible.

In this episode of Space Minds, host David Ariosto speaks with Doug Hendrix, co-founder and CEO of ExoAnalytic Solutions — a company born from three physicists’ passion for solving hard problems in space. Hendrix shares how ExoAnalytic grew from missile defense algorithms to building a global telescope network that tracks thousands of objects in orbit, providing vital insights into space debris, collisions, and threats. Together, they explore how commercial innovation, AI, and automation are reshaping space domain awareness, the rising challenges of orbital congestion, and what a future space conflict might really look like. Hendrix also reflects on how science fiction and the Apollo era first inspired his lifelong pursuit of the final frontier.

In this episode of Space Minds, host David Ariosto speaks with Terry Hart, former NASA astronaut and mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Hart reflects on the triumphs of early shuttle missions, the lessons of the Challenger tragedy, and how those experiences shape today’s commercial space era led by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin.Now a professor at Lehigh University, Hart shares insights on leadership, safety, and the enduring human drive to explore. This conversation connects the legacy of the Shuttle program to the future of human and commercial spaceflight.

On this episode of Space Minds, SpaceNews China correspondent Andrew Jones joins host Mike Gruss to unpack China’s year‑end sprint in space: expected tests tied to Long March 10 and a new crew spacecraft, up to eight maiden commercial launches from firms like Landspace and Space Pioneer alongside CASC’s Long March‑12A, and the state‑backed funding push behind national mega‑constellations.He also breaks down the recent “non‑Earth imaging” cat‑and‑mouse between Maxar and Chang Guang Satellite Technology—and shares how he verifies news from Finland as China’s space information ecosystem evolves.

In this week’s episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss speaks with Robert Lightfoot, president, space at Lockheed Martin and former NASA associate administrator. Lightfoot takes us inside the company’s large space portfolio — from building weather and GPS satellites to advancing missile defense and next-generation interceptors. He shares how Lockheed is adapting to faster, more agile ways of working, explores the evolving economics of space, and reflects on how the U.S. can protect critical assets in an increasingly contested domain. Plus, a look ahead to ambitious milestones like the Artemis moon missions and a potential 2028 space-based interceptor test.