SSPI

As space becomes more congested, contested, and interconnected, resilience has to extend across the full space architecture.  In this SSPI-WISE conversation, moderator Krista Hazen speaks with Caitlin Marsh, President of Kepler Communications U.S., and Kristin Houston, CEO of Rocketdyne. They bring perspectives from communications infrastructure, national security, power, propulsion, mobility, and commercial space operations.  Their conversation explores what resilience means as the space environment changes, vulnerabilities across the space ecosystem, optical connectivity, power and propulsion, autonomy and artificial intelligence, customer requirements, launch capacity, integrated architectures, and the workforce future missions will require.  Caitlin also discusses Kepler's optical network, on-orbit computing, hosted payload capabilities, and the work required to expand the company's United States organization and partnerships.  SSPI-WISE originally presented this conversation as an All Members Meeting.  Learn more about SSPI-WISE and register for upcoming meetings at https://sspi.online/WISE26-27  PODCAST CHAPTERS  00:00 WISE Theme and Title  00:20 Welcome and Introductions  03:16 Career Paths and Leadership  10:51 What Resilience Means Today  17:22 Vulnerabilities Across the Space Ecosystem  21:05 Optical Connectivity and Resilient Networks  25:24 Intermission  26:28 Power, Propulsion, and Maneuverability  31:19 Autonomy, AI, and Human Judgment  34:60 Building Integrated Architectures  40:26 Customer Requirements and Investment  47:41 Launch Capacity Beyond Rideshare  51:08 Space Resilience Five Years from Now  55:49 The Future Space Workforce  60:35 WISE Theme 

How does a space ecosystem move from an empty incubator to a globally recognized center of commercial activity?  Stuart Martin joins SSPI Executive Director Tamara Bond-Williams to reflect on the growth of the Harwell space cluster and the model that guided the Satellite Applications Catapult: identify the barrier, build what the market needs, and move on when others can carry the work forward.  Stuart explains why European space companies now face a scale-up funding gap, how the Space for Earth Growth Fund aims to attract larger pools of capital, and why he believes space-based solar power has reached an economic tipping point.  The conversation also examines careers in the AI era, orbital congestion, insurance exposure, circular use of space hardware, and the commercial activities that may expand human life and work in space. 

Satellite constellations are multiplying, orbits are diversifying, and the infrastructure needed to connect them to Earth is expanding rapidly. What does all that growth mean for the satellite ground segment?  In this episode of the SSPI Podcast, Tamara Bond-Williams welcomes Scott Mumford, CEO of Go Global Communications, one of SSPI's newest corporate members. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience in satellite communications, including leading Liquid Telecom Satellite Services across Africa, Scott brings an engineering and commercial perspective to the changing ground segment.  Scott explains why LEO constellations require more geographically distributed gateways, how evolving technical demands are reshaping ground infrastructure, and what it takes to build and support satellite networks around the world. He also shares how Go Global Comms is responding to these changes and what the company hopes to contribute to the SSPI community.  Learn more about SSPI at https://www.sspi.org. 

Carol Craig did not set out to become a naval aviator, launch a company, take a space company public, or spend her career navigating one rapidly changing industry after another. Her path kept changing, and she learned how to change with it.  In this SSPI-WISE conversation, Carol joins Lyn Chassagne to talk about the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership, from becoming one of the first women eligible to fly in U.S. Navy combat aircraft to founding Craig Technologies and building Sidus Space.  Their conversation explores L1[resilience in the face of unexpected change, learning when to take a risk, building trustworthy partnerships, navigating leadership as a woman in a male-dominated industry, making room for family while building a career, and knowing when an opportunity to lead may require finding a new path.]  Carol also reflects on mentorship, board service, entrepreneurship, the future of the space industry, and one piece of advice she believes emerging leaders should remember: "You deserve to be here."  This conversation was originally presented as an SSPI-WISE All Members Meeting.  Learn more about SSPI-WISE and Space & Satellite Professionals International at SSPI.org. 

What does UK space look like after four and a half years at the head of its space agency?  Dr. Paul Bate joins SSPI Executive Director Tamara Bond-Williams for a wide-ranging conversation about what he can see now that he has stepped outside the UK Space Agency and into academia.  Paul reflects on the UK's growing role in European and international missions, the importance of relationships when geopolitical systems are under stress, and a possible new model for collaborative, digital-first space R&D.  He also explains why the sector needs credible optimism and distinguishes that discipline from hype, what a UK Space and Satellite Personality of the Year should champion, and why space sustainability requires deeper independent research into the orbital and atmospheric environment.  The conversation closes by asking what humans need to thrive there, and which ethical questions institutions must answer as human activity moves farther from Earth.