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Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan
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Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan

Author: CNBC

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“Manifest Space” hosted by CNBC’s Morgan Brennan focuses on the billionaires and brains behind the ever-expanding opportunities beyond our atmosphere. Brennan features conversations with the mega moguls, industry leaders, and startups in today’s satellite, space, and defense industries looking to invest in the next frontier and guides listeners on how to get in. Sit back, relax, and prepare for liftoff in “Manifest Space.”
148 Episodes
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Earlier this week, SpaceX launched its third rocket in a 24-hour span to launch for SES, a communications satellite operator. The mission, launching the Luxembourg-based company’s O3B mPOWER satellites, will carry upgrades to address power issues experienced on earlier additions to the constellation. As the rocket awaited liftoff, SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh joined Morgan Brennan to discuss the future of broadband, competing with SpaceX’s Starlink, and the latest on the company’s $3 billion acquisition of U.S. based Intelsat.
Defense tech has gone mainstream with a growing number of entrepreneurs and investors working in the incoming Trump administration. Katherine Boyle, a general partner at a16z, was dubbed an early investor to this trend, co-founding the VC firm’s American Dynamism practice in January 2020. Boyle joins Morgan Brennan from the Reagan Defense Forum to discuss Trump 2.0, the technologies she’s most excited about right now, and the outlook for her investment thesis.
United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, blasted into 2025 with the launch of its long-awaited Vulcan Centaur rocket earlier this year. With a long history of launching national security missions, the company is now moving into commercial markets with the help of Vulcan and contracts with the likes of Amazon. ULA CEO Tory Bruno joins Morgan Brennan from the Reagan National Defense Forum to discuss the evolving launch market, what Trump 2.0 will mean for commercial space, and what the future of Boeing’s commercial space will mean for the company.
Anduril Industries is a fast-growing defense tech startup best know for attack drones, robot submarines and unmanned fighter jets. The company is now forging forward into the next domain: space. Earlier in November, Anduril won a $100 million contract with the U.S Space Force to upgrade its military satellite sensor network. The company is also developing its own spacecraft, partnering with other venture-backed space startups like Apex and Impulse Space. On this episode, Senior Vice President of Engineering Gokul Subramanian joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the next frontier.
Blue Origin just launched its ninth crewed mission—but is suborbital flight the only route to space? Space Perspective is developing its own near-space experience: offering high-altitude balloon rides for a fraction of the cost. The startup, which boasts 1,800 reservations, aims to send passengers just twenty miles above the earth for its voyages, still giving passengers an expansive view of the planet. CEO Michael Savage joins Morgan Brennan to discuss making space more accessible and affordable, plus how the company is viewing brand and marketing opportunities like Space Oreos
President-Elect Trump is set to be back in the White House, with space policy set to change accordingly. Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the future of the Artemis lunar program, space as the forefront of national security and geopolitics—plus, whether Bridenstine would consider rejoining the space agency.
When it comes to capital in space and defense technology, the government and VC investors have remained king. But Leonid Capital Partners is doing something different: pivoting the industry to private credit. With the firm, companies—including clients like ABL Space Systems, Canopy Aerospace, Phase Four and more— can borrow against their government contracts. Co-Founder & President James Parker joins Morgan Brennan to discuss what’s enticing him now and the investing landscape writ large.
Maxar Space Systems is pioneering a new way to observe Earth from space. One of the original satellite manufacturing companies, CEO Chris Johnson joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the evolution of the company, advancements in satellite technology, and Maxar's role in NASA's Artemis program.
In the wake of Hurricane Milton – space companies like ICEYE are enabling real-time data and analysis of conditions on the ground. ICEYE U.S. CEO Eric Jensen joins Morgan Brennan to lay out how the company is collecting data of earth to help governments and companies respond faster and how the startup is channeling Apple to build its satellites. 
The Department of Defense is prepared to award nearly $1 billion in loans to jumpstart technology critical to national security. The office, established in 2022, recently issued a Notice of Funding Availability laying out the criteria and application process for the Pentagon loans. The loans can be awarded to 31 categories ranging from quantum science to space propulsion. OSC Director Jason Rathje joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the new program and the intersection between technology and national security.
The U.S. Commerce Department has unveiled a proposed a ban on Chinese software and hardware in connected vehicles on American roads—but it could expand to drones and other technology. Skydio co-founder & CEO Adam Bry joins Morgan Brennan on the heels of his company’s customer day. The largest maker of drones in the U.S., Bry and Brennan discuss the future of the technology, implications for public safety, & potential for package delivery by drones.
World leaders and policymakers are meeting for both the UN General Assembly and Climate Week this week: a primetime for Planet Labs’s latest product launch and satellite success. The company, which operates the largest earth observation constellation in low-Earth orbit, has unveiled the world’s first-ever forest carbon monitoring system at 3 meter resolution. Additionally, the publicly traded company revealed images from it new hyperspectral satellite, Tanager-1. CEO Will Marshall joins Morgan Brennan to discuss AI in the space race, and why he believes his company  is positioning itself for a “multi-trillion dollar transition to a sustainable economy.”
Polaris Dawn has done the impossible: making history with private citizens conducting a spacewalk. The extravehicular activity was done to test SpaceX’s new suits. Fresh off of splashdown, mission commander & Shift4 CEO Jared Isaacman joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the view from his walk, how this space mission compared to Inspiration4— his previous venture—and the path ahead for the Polaris Program.
AST SpaceMobile has successfully launched its first five Bluebird commercial satellites, in a major step towards building space-based service for smartphones. Founder & CEO Abel Avellan joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the company’s direct-to-cell service, how the business model compares to competitors like SpaceX’s Starlink, and whether the company has the cash it needs to build out a constellation.
AST SpaceMobile has successfully launched its first five Bluebird commercial satellites, in a major step towards building space-based service for smartphones. AT&T has been a strategic partner of the company since 2018, as well as a key investor and beneficiary of the mass market. Fresh off the launch, AT&T Head of Networks Chris Sambar, joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the commercial partnership, how its venture differs from Verizon’s investment in the company, and the future of satellites for smartphones.
Within the next decade, thousands of satellites are set to head to space, but satellites may need to duck for cover. As more payloads enter low Earth orbit, space junk— debris from previous rocket launches, inactive satellites, and more—is also on the rise. LeoLabs is a startup that analyzes it all, and says number of active payloads it tracks has increased tenfold. With an additional 13,000 pieces of debris in orbit, what’s the future of space traffic management? CEO Tony Frazier joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the trajectory of space traffic, using AI to analyze satellites, and his six months on the job.
From astronauts stuck at the I.S.S. to Blue Origin’s latest suborbital spaceflight, it’s been a big week for human spaceflight. Commercial players have dominated the skies since the development of the Commercial Crew Program—helping to kick off a new era of public-private partnerships in space. Lori Garver, NASA’s former Deputy Administrator, was a key architect in the program. She joins Morgan Brennan to parse through how Boeing can recover from its latest Starliner struggles, Polaris Dawn’s prospects of launch, and space policy come the November 2024 election.
A boom in private human spaceflight is on the horizon as more heavy-lift rockets come online. But at the ISS is set to retire in 2030, what is the future of space stations? Private players are stepping in to meet demand, with Gravitics, a Washington-based in-space infrastructure startup, a likely winner in the space. Founder & CEO Colin Doughan joins Morgan Brennan to discuss commercializing low-earth orbit, supplying hardware to commercial space stations, and its recent $125 million deal with Axiom Space.
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