TerraWatch Space Podcast

Happy new year, everyone. Hope you are having a great start to the year. Back to podcasting after the much-needed break!

Today, I am speaking with Dr. Argyro Kavvada, who is the program manager at NASA’s Earth Sciences Division for their Sustainable Development Goals initiative, essentially focusing on how to translate Earth observation for sustainable development.

It is an area I have always been fascinated about not just for the obvious reasons, but also because it focuses on converting EO to real value, until the last-mile impact. Argyro is a renowned expert in the area of using EO for sustainable development, working with several organisations around the world and helping countries monitor their SDGs using EO. She was also the lead editor for a book published recently on this subject.

In this episode, Argyro and I discuss her story, her work at NASA, the use of Earth observation for tracking the SDGs and some examples, the challenges of converting EO data into impact, whether we are exploiting the full potential of EO for policymaking and more.

And now I bring you, Argyro Kavvada.

---

• Argyro's  Profile: https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/about/our-team/argyro-kavvada
• Argyro's Book: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Earth+Observation+Applications+and+Global+Policy+Frameworks-p-9781119536710
• Argyro's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/argyro-kavvada-ph-d-0470a571/
• Argyro's Twitter: https://twitter.com/argie_kavvada

---

01:13: Argie's story and work at NASA

07:16: What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

10:19: Examples of use in Earth observation for SDGs

18:36: Challenges of converting data into impact

23:10: Were the SDGs created understanding the capabilities of EO?

29:31: An overview of a book on the subject that Argie co-edited: "Earth Observation Applications and Global Policy Frameworks"

32:29: Are we exploiting the full potential of EO for policymaking?

36:55: State of EO and how it effects sustainable development initiatives

39:54: What are we not talking about enough and what can we do better?

43:35: Creating an inclusive, diverse future of EO

---

Today, I am speaking with Mila Luleva from Rabobank, a multinational banking and financial services company, where Mila heads the remote sensing team.

You might wonder what a bank is doing with Earth observation data and how they are going about integrating this technology into their processes. That's exactly why I wanted to have Mila on the podcast.

In this episode, we talk about Rabobank and their business, how they use remote sensing, how they make decisions of developing EO solutions in-house vs outsourcing the development, the state of EO and how they benchmark different EO providers, how we can improve the adoption of EO and more.

It was a great discussion and very different from the typical conversations you might have heard here on this podcast - mostly from the EO industry. It was insightful to get the views from the user side and hopefully, you enjoy this as much as I did.

And now, I bring you Mila Luleva.

Rabobank's Website: https://www.rabobank.com

Rabobank ACORN: https://acorn.rabobank.com/en/

They are hiring: https://rabobank.jobs/en/

Mila's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mluleva/

---

[ 01:18 ] Mila's background and overview of Rabobank

[ 04:02 ] What does Rabobank has to do with Earth observation?

[ 09:21 ] An example use case and the EO adoption process

[ 14:35 ] In-house development vs outsourcing EO solution development 

[ 24:17 ] Focusing on data quality and processes - idealistic or necessary?

[ 26:21 ] Roadmap for use of EO within Rabobank

[ 28:32 ] Thoughts on the state of EO - focusing on satellite companies

[ 31:53 ] Growth in downstream EO product companies and how Rabobank engages with them

[ 34:50 ] Benchmarking the different service providers

[ 39:36 ] How to make a case for the adoption of EO 

[ 43:01 ] Wrap-up questions

---

Today, I am speaking with Awais Ahmed, co-founder and CEO of Pixxel, a space tech startup founded in India, with offices in the US, that is launching a constellation of Earth observation satellites collecting hyperspectral imagery.

I have tracked Pixxel with two lenses over the years - one with my consultant hat analysing how this new startup will position itself and grow in the EO market and second, with my India hat looking at how Awais and his team in India are building India's first commercial EO satellite company.

In this episode, we discuss Pixxel's founding journey, what they bring to the EO market, their strategy, how easy it is to use hyperspectral data, early adopters and key use cases, the investment from Accenture, how to grow the adoption of EO and more.

• Pixxel's Website: https://pixxel.space/
• Awais' Twitter: https://twitter.com/awaisahmedna

[Thanks to Pixxel for sponsoring this episode]

---

[ 01:11 ] Awais' story

[ 07:54 ] Starting a space-tech company in India

[ 12:09 ] What is Pixxel bringing to the table?

[ 19:38 ] How easy it is use to hyperspectral data?

[ 23:44 ] Launch milestones

[ 24:49 ] Early adopters and key use cases

[ 29:00 ] Rio Tinto (Mining Corporation) and their use case with hyperspectral data

[ 32:15 ] Satellite-as-a-service model and Pixxel's space segment

[ 35:38 ] Investment from Accenture

[ 38:27 ] State of EO, consolidation and outlook

[ 43:40 ] Lack of focus on data quality

[ 46:51 ] Adoption of EO in India

[ 51:10 ] Worries about the state of space tech

[ 53:06 ] Wrap-up

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In this episode, I am speaking with Sean Wiid, CEO of UP42, an Earth observation company providing simplified access to geospatial data and processing. 

UP42 has had quite an interesting journey over the years. I would put in the category of platforms in the rapidly growing EO market, providing access to multiple sources of geospatial data from different providers, along with other sources of complementary data and analytics - essentially making data easy to find, access and use to develop commercial applications.

Platforms are a segment of the EO industry that usually doesn't get as much attention as the satellite companies, but I think they have an important role to play in the adoption of satellite data across industries. 

In this episode, Sean and I discuss UP42, their core capabilities and roadmap, their interesting pricing strategy, analysis-ready data, the state of EO, the future of EO platforms and more.

• UP42's website: https://up42.com/

[Thanks to UP42 for sponsoring this episode]

---

[ 01:15 ] Intro - Sean's story

[ 02:40 ] UP42 - Overview

[ 08:03 ] Pricing strategy

[ 15:25 ] What is UP42 is bringing to the EO market?

[ 20:40 ] Scalability in EO

[ 24:44 ] Core markets and use cases

[ 30:27 ] Analysis-ready data and what it means for UP42

[ 35:58 ] Towards a future of on-premise platforms and roadmap

[ 45:33 ] State of EO and whether we need more EO data companies

[ 51:07 ] What don't we talk about enough in EO and some hot takes

[ 59:15 ] Outlook for UP42 and the future of EO platforms

In this episode, I am speaking with Arnaud Guérin from Preligens, startup based in France that is building software for the defence & intelligence sector, by applying artificial intelligence to satellite imagery, among other data sources.

Preligens was in the news recently as they won a 7-year long, 240M EUR contract from the Ministere des Armees, the French Ministry of Defence , which I thought was a big win for both the company and the EO sector in Europe. 

The company has an interesting journey because contrary to other EO companies that build cloud-based, scalable products, they deploy software on-premise because that is how the defence sector operates. Also, their product is sensor-agnostic because in its early days, they couldn't get access to imagery gathered by French intelligence satellites. So, I wanted to speak to Arnaud to understand more about their capabilities strategy and where they are headed.

In this episode. we discuss about Preligens, what AI brings to EO, how they develop on-premise solutions, the reason for being data-agnostic, verticalisation and more. 

• Preligens website: https://preligens.com
• French MoD contract: https://preligens.com/resources/press/press-release-frances-general-directorate-armaments-dga-contracts-preligens-data

[Thanks to Preligens for sponsoring this episode]

---

[ 01:35 ] : Overview of Preligens

[ 03:34 ] : Core product offerings

[ 06:43 ] : What AI brings to Earth observation

[ 08:40 ] : On-premise platform vs cloud-based products

[ 15:02 ] : About the 240M EUR contract from the French MoD

[ 18:44 ] : The importance of being data-agnostic and helping customers answering a question

[ 29:11 ] : Verticalisation and expanding to new markets

[ 36:42 ] : Are there still data gaps?

[ 38:44 ] : Is Preligens an EO company?

[ 40:19 ] : SpaceTech in France

[ 44:17 ] : What does Preligens mean and outlook for the company

[ 47:36 ] : Wrap-up

In this episode, I am speaking with Arjen Vrielink from Satelligence. 

Satelligence is a startup based in the Netherlands that is building solutions to monitor deforestation, track supply chains and carbon stocks using Earth observation data.

Arjen has been a twitter friend for a while and I really like his pragmatic takes on the future of the industry and outlook for EO. So, we talked about exactly that!

In this episode. we discuss about his company Satelligence, their journey, strategy and tech stack, challenges associated with using satellite imagery and what I found to be a fascinating subject - the four waves of EO companies.

Satelligence's Website: https://satelligence.com/

Arjen's Twitter:  https://twitter.com/arjenvrielink

---

[ 01:05 ] : Arjen's story

[ 03:48 ] : Overview of Satelligence

[ 05:53 ] : Four waves of Earth observation companies

[ 13:30 ] : Satelligence's tech stack

[ 20:13 ] Challenges with using satellite imagery

[ 27:39 ] : Open-source vs proprietary IP 

[ 31:20 ] : Solving the challenges

[ 39:20 ] :Navigating the funding challenge

[ 44:02 ] : Roadmap for Satelligence

[ 48:08 ] : Arjen's most controversial take on EO

[ 49:54 ] : Outlook for EO

Welcome to episode #50. This is a special one and it is been in the making for a while!

Today, I am speaking with Simonetta Cheli, the Director of Earth Observation Programmes at the European Space Agency (or ESA).

November is an important month for ESA as the Ministerial Council is coming up shortly, scheduled on the 22nd and 23rd of November 2022 in Paris. The Ministerial Council is the meeting that happens once in three years, where ESA's Member States, Associate States and Cooperating States come together to make important decisions on the future of ESA programmes and missions.

In this episode, Simonetta and I discuss the proposal from the Earth Observation Directorate at ESA and what is on the table as well as touch on topics such as commercialisation and international cooperation.

- ESA's EO Proposal: https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/corporate/CM22_EO.pdf

- ESA's  Ministerial Council: https://vision.esa.int/cm22/

- ESA's Vision: https://vision.esa.int/

- Simonetta's Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonettacheli

---

[ 01:23 ] : Simonetta's background and experience at ESA

[ 04:42 ] : What's on the table for Earth Observation at the ministerial?

[ 11:08 ] : Commercialisation and ESA's InCubed programme

[ 13:35 ] : ESA's role in the exploitation of EO data

[ 17:03 ] : International collaboration for EO at ESA

[ 21:26 ] : Simonetta's message to the EO community

[ 22:48 ] : Wrap-up

In this episode, I speak with Paul Counet, Head of Strategy and International Relations at EUMETSAT.

EUMETSAT (or)  The European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites is an intergovernmental organisation with 30 Member States in Europe, with an objective to establish, maintain and exploit European systems of operational meteorological satellites. EUMETSAT is one of the key actors that is responsible for maintaining a global meteorological satellite observing system coordinated with a number of other countries.

It is safe to say that EUMETSAT's activities have led to millions of lives being saved and billions of euros of economic damage being avoided, thanks to the data collected by their satellites.

In this episode, Paul and I talk about EUMETSAT, their core activities, their relationship with other European organisations and their relationship with other countries, about Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellites, the global gaps in weather observations, the role of the private sector and more.

MTG: https://www.eumetsat.int/meteosat-third-generation

---

01:31: Overview of EUMETSAT

04:56: Satellite missions of EUMETSAT

16:34: The relationship with ESA and ECMWF

19:19: Relationships with global weather agencies (US, China)

27:15: About Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) and its impact

35:56: Gaps in observations and the role of the private sector

49:20: Importance of communication in weather 

52:52 Wrap-up

Today, I have two guests on the podcast - Pierrick Poulenas, co-founder and CEO of Picterra along with Pascal van Dalen, the Chief Growth Officer. 

Picterra is an Earth observation startup based in Switzerland, providing a platform to train, deploy, and manage geospatial models at scale. Picterra sits at what I call the "Distribution" layer of Earth observation, allowing users to make sense of geospatial data and operationalise it within their organisations. I have been following them for many years and they have an interesting evolution.

In this episode, we talk about Picterra's story, their strategy, the meaning of geospatial MLOps, how they resist the temptation to verticalise and build applications, the state of Earth observation and more.

[Thanks to Picterra for sponsoring this episode]

---

[01:05]: Intro

[03:38]: An overview of Picterra

[10:42]: Picterra's business model and customers

[15:12]: Picterra's pricing model

[21:06]: Partnerships and go-to-market strategy 

[24:26]: What is Geospatial MLOps?

[30:45]: What's on the roadmap for Picterra?

[34:36]: Why does Picterra not verticalise?

[40:12]: The state of Earth observation: Whether we need for big data, the entry of big tech and the advisory service layer

[47:01]: Wrap-up

Today, I am speaking with James Slifierz, from SkyWatch. For those who don't know, SkyWatch is a Canadian startup that aims to remove the barriers to accessing commercial satellite imagery, through two offerings - one called EarthCache that is a one-stop shop to acquire commercial satellite data and the other called TerraStream that provides an ideal way for satellite operators to go-to-market with their data.

SkyWatch is one of my favourite EO companies. I have been following SkyWatch for years and I am a big proponent of what they are aiming to achieve in the market. I think James has a very fascinating, yet concrete vision both for his company and the EO industry. So, I had him on the podcast to talk about all things SkyWatch and EO.

In this episode, James and I discuss the origins of SkyWatch, their attempt to build an API for commercial satellite data, surprising learnings acquired over the years, the state of EO and whether we need more data, the significance of the distribution layer and more.

This was one of my favourite conversations on the podcast - we touched on a number of topics and if you are an enthusiast of EO like we both are, you will enjoy this episode. 

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01:31: James’ background and the origins of SkyWatch

13:57: Partnering with satellite data providers

16:57: The most surprising learnings from building EarthCache, an API for satellite imagery

23:46: The market intelligence acquired by SkyWatch

32:48: TerraStream: SkyWatch’s product aimed at EO satellite operators

45:16: The lack of focus on the data distribution layer in EO

49:47: Too much EO data or do we need more data?

53:15: The advisory service layer and how SkyWatch fits into this thesis

58:50: James’ controversial take on the state of EO and what can we do better

01:02:30: Wrap-up

Today, I am speaking with Yana Gevorgyan, the Secretariat Director of the Group on Earth Observations (or GEO). GEO is a unique global network connecting government institutions, academic and research institutions, data providers, businesses, engineers, scientists and experts to create innovative solutions based on Earth observation.

I wanted to have Yana on the podcast to discuss what GEO does and its role in the global EO sector, especially at a time when the importance of EO is growing around the world. So, it's critical there is a global authoritative voice for EO particularly focused on building impact-driven projects through partnerships both between the global public sector and the private sector.

In this episode, Yana and I discuss her story, the significance of an organisation like GEO, examples of GEO-led projects, the importance of partnerships in EO and more.

GEO's Website: http://earthobservations.org/

Yana's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yana-gevorgyan-8b9249a/

GEO Week 2022: https://www.earthobservations.org/geoweek2022.php

---

Before we get to the episode, a quick note about one of the contributors for the podcast - Geoawesomeness.

Geoawesomeness is a community-based platform for all things geospatial and Earth observation. I wanted to mention one of their recent initiatives called Earth Observation Hub. 

Earth Observation Hub or EO Hub, from Geoawesomeness, is a one-stop-shop for all topics related to geospatial data. It's made for policymakers, business leaders, geospatial experts, and enthusiasts, to showcase how EO is transforming our world. Built in collaboration with UP42, an EO startup, EO Hub has curated articles, podcasts, webinars and much more. 

I recommend you check out EO Hub at geoawesomeness.com/eo-hub"

---

01:47: Yana’s story - From Armenia to the US to Switzerland, NOAA experience and GEO

11:45: GEO and its significance in being the authoritative voice in EO

23:42: The role of the private EO sector in creating value

28:07: Some examples of impact-driven, GEO projects

35:06: Building inclusive local solutions - the case of Digital Earth Africa

39:14: How do we make the most impact with Earth observation through partnerships?

43:40: What worries Yana about the state of EO and what can we improve

46:12: Wrap-up + context on GEO Week in Accra, Ghana

Today, I am speaking with Nadine Alameh, the CEO of Open Geospatial Consortium, an international organisation dedicated to making geospatial data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) through consensus-based standards, collaborative innovation projects, and industry partnerships.

I wanted to have Nadine on the podcast to speak about the importance of standards and interoperability in Earth observation - an area that I think doesn't get a lot of attention. If you have listened to some past episodes, I have touched on this topic quite a bit. I put this into a category of problems that I call "boring problems" in an ironic way - because they may look boring, but unless they are solved the industry cannot move forward. And I think it is very much the case in EO as more and more satellites with a variety of sensors are launched, but is all that data really useful if they are not accessible, usable or fusable?

In this episode, Nadine and I discuss her story, what OGC does, the ongoing gold rush in EO, standards and interoperability, the role of the private sector in developing that and more. 

Website: https://www.ogc.org/

Nadine's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadinealameh

Nadine's Twitter: https://twitter.com/nadinesa

---

Thanks to Geoawesomeness for being one of the contributors to this podcast.

Geoawesomeness is a community-based platform for all things geospatial and Earth observation. I wanted to mention one of their recent initiatives called Earth Observation Hub. 

Earth Observation Hub or EO Hub, from Geoawesomeness, is a one-stop-shop for all topics related to geospatial data. It's made for policymakers, business leaders, geospatial experts, and enthusiasts, to showcase how EO is transforming our world. Built in collaboration with UP42, an EO startup, EO Hub has curated articles, podcasts, webinars and much more. 

I recommend you check out EO Hub at geoawesomeness.com/eo-hub"

---

02:18: Nadine’s story and learnings from her startup experience

11:52: What is OGC?

15:49: Examples of OGC’s projects and activities

21:12: The rationale for OGC to exist and its importance for EO

26:23: The EO gold rush and working on boring problems

31:14: The role of the private sector is developing standards

35:01: The similarity and difference with what happened with meteorological data

38:03: The role of EO data platform companies and how long we wait for standards

42:57: What can we change in EO

46:03: Wrap-up

Today, I am speaking with Abe Tarapani, CEO of Atlas AI.

I wanted to feature Atlas AI as “Startup of the Month” on the podcast as I believe they are doing something very important and impactful with satellite data. I will let you listen to Abe explaining what Atlas AI does, but to give you an idea, they are attempting to fill the gaps in socioeconomic and environmental data across parts of the world that don’t have access to such data, leveraging Earth observation and machine learning, thereby making sure that significant economic and infrastructure-related decisions in those countries can be made efficiently.

In this episode, Abe and I discuss the problem Atlas AI is trying to solve and why their approach is different from a typical data company, their product strategy and knowing where to draw the line, why they publish details about their science & methodology, the recent announcement on the project with the Rockefeller Foundation and e-Guide, the need for the advisory service layer in EO and more.

Atlas AI's website

Rockefeller Foundation's project with Atlas AI

---

01:15: Intro & Abe’s Story

04:29: The elevator pitch of Atlas AI

07:44: The problem Atlas AI is trying to solve and why is different from a typical Earth observation company

13:28: Atlas AI’s technology stack, products and target markets

21:12: Product strategy - how to draw the line: Atlas AI’s perspective

24:42: Do Atlas AI’s customers care where the data comes from

28:41: Why publish the scientific methodology behind the product and why it could be important

33:05: The project with the Rockefeller Foundation and e-Guide

40:30: Thoughts on the state of EO and the need for the advisory service layer in EO

49:26: Wrap-up

Today, I am speaking with Jonny Dyer, co-founder and CEO of Muon Space. Muon Space is a recently-founded startup based in California that is developing an Earth observation satellite platform that would bring remote sensing capability to organisations that lack the expertise needed to develop it themselves.

Jonny Dyer is well-known in the Earth observation world - he was the Chief Engineer of Skybox, the first venture-funded EO company that was bought by Google and then sold to Planet. He then worked for Google and Lyft, before starting Muon with his co-founders.

In this episode, Jonny and I discuss his background, how he decided to not built another "EO dataset company", Muon's differentiated approach, the climate narrative, Muon's plans and more.

FYI - Muon Space will be first company I will be writing about as part of monthly "EO Company of the Month" series. So, if you want to learn more about Muon, stay tuned for the piece that should come out late September. Subscribe to my newsletter.

- Muon Space's website + they are hiring.

- Jonny's LinkedIn

---

01:27: Intro & Jonny's story

08:14: Elevator pitch for Muon

11:42: Not deciding to start yet another "EO dataset company"

15:16: The differentiated model for EO from Muon Space

19:33: The climate narrative and why it fits with Muon's approach

26:22: The difference with the space as-a-service model

31:28: Muon's roadmap and potential customers 

38:00: Muon's market positioning 

43:21 Thoughts on the state of EO today

46:42: Wrap-up

---

Today, I am speaking with Prof. Chris Rapley from University College London. 

From working on Earth observations missions to study the polar regions with radar altimetry instruments to actually researching there as the director of British Antarctic Survey, Prof Chris Rapley is an accomplished scientist. He was also the Director of the Science Museum in the UK for a few years, and is now currently Professor of Climate Science at University College London.

Chris is also the member of the European Space Agency Director General's High Level Advisory Group and the UK Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. 

His current interests actually lie in the communication of climate science and that's why I wanted to have him on the podcast, given communication is something that we need to improve on in the Earth observation sector.

In this episode, we discuss the use of satellite data for climate, whether the decision makers and end users care where the data comes from, how we can bridge the gap in communicating Earth Observation, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, leveraging climate as a narrative to communicate about the significance of satellites and more.

Chris Rapley's Bio

Prof. Chris Rapley's Wikipedia

---

01:33: Chris’ (fascinating) story
13:17: Use of satellite data on ground, while Chris was researching in Antarctica
15:05: Satellite data for climate - does anyone care where the data comes from? 
22:22: The importance of a multidisciplinary approach in Earth observation
27:47: The dichotomy of the need to communicate about EO vs EO being in the background
30:20: Bridging the gap in communication in EO
38:43: Leveraging on climate as a communication narrative for EO
42:28: What can we improve on as an industry in terms of communication about EO and climate?
46:03: What are some reasons to be optimistic about climate?

Today, I am speaking with Daniel Wicks, head of geospatial intelligence at Satellite Applications Catapult in the UK. Satellite Applications Catapult is an entity set up by the UK, and is one of nine Catapults, aimed at building innovation and driving economic growth. 

I was interested to speak with Dan because I believe the organisation is doing important work in being the bridge between the satellite data producers, which is Earth observation industry and the rest of the world, who are the users of the data. I also wanted to dive deep into the challenges in using satellite data today and things that needs to be done to make EO mainstream. 

In this episode, we discuss the state of adoption of Earth observation, the pilot project problem, importance of standards and interoperability, whether the Catapult-model can scale around the world and more.

- Dan's LinkedIn

- Satellite Applications Catapult

---

01:08: Intro

01:54: About Satellite Applications Catapult and their work in Earth observation

03:13: State of EO and the adoption of satellite data

09:48: What's going on in the UK EO ecosystem?

14:20: The "pilot project problem" in EO

17:16: Data availability, standards, interoperability 

24:40: The role of space agencies and Catapult-like entities in pushing the adoption of satellite data

31:05: Similarities with weather and the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach

34:14: The outlook for EO and key markets

39:37: Wrap-up

Housekeeping: This is the first episode after the break, after officially launching my business TerraWatch Space. As I mentioned in the blog post, I am going to be changing the format of the podcast a little.

The "Startup of the Month" is where I will have an interesting startup in Earth observation on the podcast to give them a platform for highlighting what they are building. Today's episode with Blue Sky Analytics is the first of that series.

If you like your startup to be on the podcast or want to nominate one, stay tuned for an announcement on social media. I would like to give the chance for any EO startup to be on my podcast. Thanks for the support!

Now, onto today's episode. 

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The startup I want to highlight this month is Blue Sky Analytics, an Indian startup building climate intelligence solution using satellite data, for insurance and banking firms. I am speaking with Abhilasha Purwar and Kshitij Purwar, the co-founders of Blue Sky, who also happen to be siblings. I wanted to have Blue Sky because I think they have an interesting outlook in EO but more importantly, centered on impact. 

In this episode, we discuss what Blue Sky Analytics is building, their API-first approach, their data agnostic strategy, the business model and whether EO companies are SaaS companies, the benefits of building the company in India and more.

https://blueskyhq.io/

-----

01:35: Intros
05:01: About Blue Sky Analytics and their vision to be the Bloomberg for environmental data
14:08: An API-first strategy for democratising satellite data for climate
19:07: Blue Sky's satellite data strategy and the importance of being customer-obsessed, problem-driven and data-agnostic
37:06: Blue Sky's business model and whether EO are SaaS companies
49:41 Building an EO company in India - the challenge vs the opportunity
55:23: Blue Sky's roadmap and outlook
01:06:04: Wrap-up: Descartes Labs and potentially having Mark Johnson on the podcast

Looking back at the journey of TerraWatch Space podcast and its future - some gratitude, some learnings & some thoughts on how I want to see the podcast grow, as I go full-time on TerraWatch Space with the goal of making satellite data mainstream.

Usual episodes should start on Wednesday. Thank you!

-Aravind

Today, I am speaking with Thomas Ormston, Deputy Spacecraft Operations Manager for the Sentinel-1 mission at the European Space Agency. Thomas has over 15 years of experience in spacecraft operations from being part of the operations team for the Mars Express mission to then becoming the spacecraft operations engineer for EarthCARE and Sentinel-1 missions.

In this episode, we discuss the role of a spacecraft operations engineer, his experience flying a spacecraft in Mars orbit, the differences with operating Earth observation missions, the Sentinel-1B incident, the growth of the space sustainability market and more.

- ESA Operations on Twitter

- Thomas on Twitter

-----

01:06: Thomas's story and intro to ESA Operations

05:20: The role of a Spacecraft Operations Engineer

11:31: Operating a spacecraft in Mars orbit

17:29: Transitioning to operating an Earth observation satellite

19:12: Rosetta mission

21:14: Working on ESA's EarthCARE mission pre-launch

29:30: Operating the Sentinel-1 mission (Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B)

35:10: The Sentinel-1B incident

42:00: The growth of the space sustainability market

47:01: The impact of satellite megaconstellations

51:08: Wrap-up

Today, I am speaking with Julia Wagemann, an independent consultant and project manager in the Earth observation sector. Julia works in the intersection of data providers and users aiming to make large volumes of EO data better accessible and used. She has several years of experience in EO and she has worked with organisations including ESA, EUMETSAT, ECMWF and more.

For me, "boring problems" are categories of problems very few are interested in working on, but unless they are solved, the industry cannot grow. I call them "boring" in an ironic way - because there is more attention given to launching more satellites and getting more data down, than figuring out how to work with all that data together.

In this episode, Julia and discuss the similarities & differences between imaging data and meteorological data, the role of platforms in EO, the significance of standards and interoperability and diversity in EO, particularly focused on Women+ in Geospatial, an initiative that was co-founded by Julia.

Julia's Twitter

Julia's LinkedIn

Women In Geospatial Speaker Database

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01:45: Julia's story

04:55: What encompasses Earth observation data - imaging data vs meteorological data?

10:18: State of adoption of EO data

13:37: What is the role of platforms in EO?

21:01: The significance of standards in improving adoption

28:38: The current state of interoperability in EO

32:22: The role of the private sector in working on interoperability and standards

35:13: The importance of training & workshops in Earth observation

44:41: Making EO more diverse with Women+ in Geospatial

52:04: Wrap-up

Today I am speaking with Dr. Marshall Shepherd, an American meteorologist, professor at the University of Georgia and the director of the university's atmospheric sciences program. Dr.Shepherd was the 2013 president of the American Meteorological Society and a past chair of the NASA Earth Sciences Advisory Committee.Dr. Shepherd is also the host of the popular podcast Weather Geeks and a contributor to Forbes Magazine.

In this episode, Marshall and I discuss his story, the fundamentals of weather, the gaps in weather observations and modeling, challenges in communicating weather and more.

I have been wanting to do an episode on weather for a while now, and I think this really was the perfect conversation to get started with this subject. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I did recording it.

Marshall's Twitter

Weather Geeks Podcast

JetStream, by National Weather Service

Climate.Gov

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01:20: Marshall's story

07:21: How does weather work?

11:39: Are people taking weather for granted?

15:08: Explain the following terms in about a minute - i) weather vs climate, ii) meteorology vs atmospheric science and iii) climate modelling

20:08: Gaps in weather observations from space

23:00: Why do we have so many gaps in observations?

26:33: Gaps in weather modeling

30:05: Gaps in weather communication

33:50 Are we going to get tired of weather forecasts?

37:02: Why is weather not discussed a lot within the space industry?

39:42: Diversity and inclusion in the weather industry

43:23: Wrap-up

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My Twitter

My LinkedIn

Today, I am speaking with John Murtagh from Airbus Intelligence. I don't think the company requires an introduction - Airbus Intelligence has been delivering value from satellite imagery for over 30 years.

John Murtagh is the Head of Strategy for the Intelligence program unit of Airbus Defence and Space. Since joining Airbus in 1992, John has undertaken a wide range of roles, worked in over 30 countries on all continents, and is an executive member driving Intelligence strategies.

In this episode, John and I talk about the Airbus Intelligence business unit, the Pléiades Neo mission, the One Atlas Platform, key trends in Earth observation and more.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/airbus-defence-and-space---intelligence/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/airbusspace?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/airbusds

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01:00: Intro

02:45: Airbus Intelligence: Satellites & Activities

09:39: Overview of Pléiades Neo

17:30: OneAtlas Platform

24:12: Key Trends in Earth Observation

31:10: Dealing with Competition and Partnerships

36:23: Commercial Adoption of Earth Observation

40:11: Wrap-up

Today I am speaking with Jonathan Lacoste, General Partner at SpaceVC, a venture capital firm investing in space companies.

I was keen on getting Jonathan on the podcast because he has quite an interesting story. In 2011, he co-founded Jebbit, an enterprise software company, built it and scaled it into a multi-million dollar businesses. Following that, he decided to get into the space industry as an investor.

In this episode, we discuss the journey of his transition into space tech, his thoughts on state of the space industry, venture capital and space, learnings from enterprise software that are relevant for space tech and more.

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00:56: Jonathan's journey

06:35: Transitioning from enterprise software to space

12:25: How to navigate the way into space tech

17:25: State of investing in space tech

22:24: Thesis for SpaceVC and the "due diligence" process

28:52: Earth observation 2.0 and transferable learnings from enterprise software

33:23: Markets that Jonathan as a VC is not very optimistic about

35:03: Why "outsourcing of space" will be the next big thing in space tech

38:35: Worries about the state of the space industry

42:30: Wrap-up

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Today, I am speaking with David Henri, co-founder and chief product officer of Exotrail.

Exotrail is a French NewSpace startup that is focusing on space mobility meaning, enabling small satellites to move in space, optimising their deployment, and increasing their performance.

In this episode, David and I talk about what is going on in the French NewSpace ecosystem, the differences between US and European startups, the last-mile delivery market (in space), Exotrail and their strategy and more.

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01:24: Intro

02:54: Exotrail: Overview

09:18: What's going on in the French NewSpace ecosystem?

13:54: The last-mile delivery market

21:15: NewSpace: US vs Europe

24:45: Exotrail: Founding journey

30:27: From a propulsion company to a space mobility company

39:40 Exotrail's go-to-market strategy

44:05: Launch brokers vs last-mile delivery operators

48:08: Worries about the state of the space industry

51:01 Wrap-up

Today, I am speaking with Max Gulde, co-founder and CEO of ConstellR, Cassi Welling, COO of ConstellR and Guerric de Crombrugghe, Chief Product Officer of ConstellR and former CEO of ScanWorld.

ConstellR is an Earth observation startup, focusing on collecting thermal infrared data from space for agriculture. I find them interesting because, even though infrared data has applications across industries, they decided to focus on building products for the agriculture sector. This is what I call, "verticalization" - a growing trend in EO. What's also interesting is that ConstellR acquired ScanWorld, a couple of weeks ago. ScanWorld is a hyperspectral Earth observation startup, also focusing on the agriculture sector This was an example of another growing trend in EO - "data fusion."

In this episode, we discuss ConstellR and their plans, the importance of thermal infrared imagery and of course, their acquisition of ScanWorld.

PS. Guerric was on the podcast a few months ago - check out episode #27 to learn more about hyperspectral imagery and ScanWorld!

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01:20: Intros

05:00: State of Earth Observation Market

09:27: ConstllR: Elevator Pitch

11:30: Thermal Infrared Imagery - Overview & Significance

21:26: Is ConstllR a spacetech or agritech company?

24:25: ConstllR's go-to-market strategy - data vs insights

27:16: Recent ISS milestone and satellite plans

32:07: Acquisition of ScanWorld (welcoming Guerric de Crombrugghe)

46:12: Worries about the state of the EO today

47:33- Wrap-up

Today, I am speaking with Prateep Basu, co-founder and CEO of SatSure, an Earth observation company from India, that just closed a $5M pre-series A round earlier this year.

In this episode, Prateep and I discuss the state of Indian space ecosystem, being a space tech entrepreneur in India, SatSure's plans and the Earth observation market.

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01:20: Intro

03:34: Being a space entrepreneur in India

08:43: Thoughts on the Earth Observation market

15:33: Overview of SatSure

19:33: Use of satellite data in Indian financial sector

23:42: Why SatSure wants to launch satellites

30:48: SatSure: Roadmap & Plans

34:09 What could go wrong in EO?

This episode has been in the making for a while, as I was really interested in understanding the Earth observation market in China. So, it was great to have Blaine and Tianyi, two experts on the space industry in China, on the podcast to discuss this subject.

Blaine Curcio is the founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting, a Senior Affliate Consultant at Euroconsult and the co-host of Dongfang Hour, a podcast and YouTube channel devoted to the Chinese space sector. Tianyi Lan is the founder of Ubnebula, a consulting firm focused on the space industry in China.

In this episode, we discuss everything from how EO industry works in China, the emerging private sector, the users of EO data, external collaborations etc.

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01:03: Intros from Blaine and Tianyi

04:42: Why don't we hear more about Chinese EO companies?

10:40: Overview of Chinese EO missions

17:55: Is the EO data collected from those missions open source?

24:35: Overview of the private EO sector

33:28: EO analytics companies in China

37:25: Public-private partnerships

41:55: Awareness of the western EO ecosystem in China

45:12: Market expansion to the west?

48:25: Collaborations and partnerships

53:39: Overall outlook for the Chinese EO ecosystem

Today I am speaking with Alex Greenberg, Co-founder & COO of Loft Orbital.

Loft is actually one of my favourite companies in the space industry. I will let you listen to Alex explaining about what they do, but what got me interested in Loft is - they are actually trying to solve something that I have been asking myself over the last couple of years, which is whether we can "outsource space" especially the part of building, launching and operating satellites.

In this episode, Alex and I discussion that question, talk about Loft's journey, how they manage to become a household name both in the US and in France, their go-to-market strategy and more.

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01:24: Intro from Alex

04:12: Loft Orbital - Overview

05:30: Some surprising trends in the space industry

15:00 Can space be outsourced today?

24:24: To vertically integrate or not?

28:55: Becoming a US company and a French company

32:30: Who are Loft's customers?

39:30: The EarthDaily case study (an Earth observation company that "outsourced space" to Loft Orbital)

42:47: Loft's go-to-market strategy and business model

50:10: Wrap-up

In this episode, I am speaking with Emiliano Kargieman aka EK. EK is the founder and CEO of Satellogic, an Earth observation company founded in 2010 that just trading in the public market, about a month ago.

EK and I discuss the founding story of Satellogic, the early challenges and learnings, the state of the Earth observation market, Satellogic's strategy, their roadmap and more.

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01:28: Intro

05:08: Satellogic's founding story

08:25: Early challenges, successes and learnings

20:38: Was there a market for Earth observation in 2010?

25:44: The important factors in the growth of the EO market

34:41: Vertical integration and verticalization

37:44: Satellogic - roadmap and plans

44:01: What could go wrong in the industry?

46:12 Wrap-up

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We are going to discuss something that is usually not discussed as much in the space industry. And that's the topic of cybersecurity. As we continue to launch more and more commercial satellites, I guess it is not a question of if we will see the first big satellite hack, but when.

To explore this subject further, I invited Mathieu Bailly, VP of Space from CYSEC, a cybersecurity startup from Switzerland. CYSEC is not a space company per se, but they do offer cybersecurity solutions for space tech. Check out their satellite hacking event: Hack CYSAT.

In this episode, Mathieu and I delve into why cybersecurity is relevant for space tech, the status quo of solutions available, CYSEC and what they do, how different cybersecurity for space tech is from cybersecurity for software and more.

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01:02: Intro

02:33: Context: Why is cybersecurity relevant for space?

09:30: The cybersecurity solutions available today

15:39: Have there been cyber attacks in space?

23:10: CYSEC: Overview and experience in space tech

31:25: Cybersecurity standards in the space industry

34:01 About "Hack CYSAT" - A live satellite hacking event

37:16: Difference between space cybersecurity and software/IT cybersecurity

39:02: Blockchain for Space

41:02 Best-case/worse-case scenarios for space cybersecurity

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Welcome to another episode. This one is all about hyperspectral Earth observation. You might have come across this buzzword quite a bit in the last couple of years in the space industry.

So, I decided to invite Guerric de Crombrugghe from ScanWorld to understand what all of this means. Guerric runs a startup based in Belgium building products for the agriculture sector using hyperspectral imagery from space.

In this episode, we discuss what is hyperspectral data, its applications, how ScanWorld uses hyperspectral data, their plans and roadmap and some interesting topics related to the Earth observation market.

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00:56: Intro

02:47: The "messy" Earth observation market

06:30: What is hyperspectral imagery?

09:16: Applications of hyperspectral imagery in agriculture

20:52: Why ScanWorld focuses on agriculture

24:38: Is ScanWorld an AgTech company?

28:29: ScanWorld's plans and roadmap

33:03: Institutional hyperspectral missions

40:50: What could go wrong in EO?

42:55: Wrap-up

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I want to share this conversation I had with Shimon Elkabetz, one of the co-founders and CEO of Tomorrow.io.

In this short episode, Shimon and I chat about why the company was founded, the overall strategy, building a multi-vertical platform, the subject of being labelled as a "space company", the rationale for going to space and more.

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01:10: Intro

02:14: Overview of Tomorrow.io

09:52: Multi-platform platform vs verticalised product

13:20: Being labelled a "space company"

15:32: Investing for the future

19:20: Why go to space?

23:18: We are hiring - https://tomorrow.io/careers

24:02: Wrap-up

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In this episode, I am speaking with John Springmann, VP of Space at Tomorrow.io. Prior to Tomorrow, John worked at Blacksky and Rocket lab and has extensive experience in building and launching satellites, that is, taking a concept on a slide deck to operations on-orbit.

We discuss trends in the space industry, and what's changed from an engineering standpoint, John's experiences at Blacksky building their EO satellites, Rocket Lab building Photon as well as what we are building at Tomorrow.io.

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01:05: John's story

04:40: What's changed in space from an engineering standpoint?

06:37: Is space really "democratized"? Can space be "outsourced"?

11:45: Some surprising trends in the space industry

16:55: What's the easiest type of satellite to build and launch

20:20: John's experience at Blacksky building EO satellites

22:11: Engineering challenges before & during NewSpace era

31:29: John's experience at Rocket Lab building Photon

37:58: What we are building at Tomorrow.io

44:35: Wrap-up

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In this episode, I am speaking with Mani Thiru, Aerospace and Satellite (A&S) Solutions lead for Amazon Web Services in the Asia Pacific region. We discuss space activities in the Asia Pacific region, AWS and space, what AWS offers for the Earth observation market as well as touch on diversity in the space industry.

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00:50: Mani’s story

05:40: Overview of space activities in the Asia-Pacific region

18:59: What does AWS have to do with space

26:04: Earth Observation and AWS

39:01: What worries Mani about the state of the space industry

42:10: Diversity in the space industry

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I was absolutely privileged to have former NASA Astronaut and ex-NOAA Administrator, Kathy Sullivan on my podcast.

Kathy can be called a geologist, an oceanographer, a scientist, an astronaut and an explorer. From being the first American woman to walk in space during her Shuttle missions to becoming the first woman to dive to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the world's deepest point, Kathy has had an incredible career. She was also the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of NOAA from 2014 to 2017. These days, among doing a number of other important things, Kathy hosts a podcast called Kathy Sullivan Explores, which I really recommend.

In this episode, we talk about her astronaut journey, her experience diving to the world's deepest point, weather, the importance of providing intelligence over data and what action we can take with respect to climate change. I don't think a 40-minute episode is enough to get all her thoughts and advice, but I tried to cover different subjects. I hope you get inspired listening to Kathy as much as I did.

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01:54: Kathy's intro

03:41: Kathy's astronaut experience

09:20: The overview effect

15:45: Kathy's experience diving to the world's deepest point

20:30: The interconnectedness of the world

25:50 Kathy's journey at NOAA

28:02: Is weather a solved problem?

32:57: Providing "intelligence" over "data"

35:09: The importance of space for climate

36:37: What action can we take?

38:15: What's keeping Kathy busy these days

41:08: 1-line message for everyone

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In this episode, I am speaking with Kevin Weil, President of Product and Business at Planet. I am guessing most of you know Planet - the poster child of the NewSpace industry and the Earth observation sector. For those of you that don't, Planet has the largest constellation of EO satellites that image the Earth every day. And, Planet is also just about to go public following a SPAC deal with dMY Technology Group, earlier this year.

And as for Kevin Weil - I am going to let you listen to his story in his own words. Kevin joined Planet about 6 months ago. With past leadership roles in Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, his CV speaks for itself. I really enjoyed this discussion with Kevin on Planet and his vision for the Earth observation sector.

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01:20: Kevin's story

07:35: Foray into space tech

13:30: About the space industry

16:22: Outlook on Earth observation

22:49: Planet - The Present & The Future

26:17: Evangelising EO and Simplifying EO

28:40: A B2C app based on EO data?

32:30: Data fusion and verticalisation

34:58: Horizontal EO vs Vertical EO

38:16: Vision for Planet

41:35: What worries Kevin about the industry

44:28: 1-thing to learn from Big-Tech to Earth observation

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I am speaking with Daniel Seidel, co-founder of LiveEO, one of my favourite Earth observation startups, based out of Berlin, Germany. LiveEO offers an end-to-end EO-based solution for infrastructure monitoring in the Utilities industry, and their mission is to take Earth observation to enterprises.

In this episode, we talk about LiveEO's journey, their go-to-market approach, the importance of building scalable EO solutions, their investing journey and a bunch of other topics related to EO.

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01:25: Daniel's story

03:27: Outlook on the space industry

06:16: LiveEO - the elevator pitch and their story

10:25: LiveEO's go-to-market strategy

13:55: How customers use LiveEO's product

22:15: The importance of building scalable EO solutions

24:12 LiveEO's investing journey and lessons learned

31:23 The role of EO within the space industry

38:45: Prioritising data availability vs data access

43:18: Lessons learned from LiveEO - for future EO entrepreneurs

47:36 $100m in hand - where would you invest in space tech?

50:00 Roadmap for LiveEO

51:37: About NewSpaceVision

53:48: 1-line message for the space industry

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In this episode, I am speaking with Sinéad O' Sullivan. Sinéad is one of the most interesting people I know. She has a super interesting background - from working at NASA on space missions to working with Michael Porter on strategy.

Her official bio reads: Sinéad is a space economist whose research lies at the intersection of geopolitics, technology, and economics of interplanetary space missions. She works on behavioral science at Veriphix, Geopolitical AI at MIT, space technologies at the Center for Climate and Security, and a lot more.

Sinéad also does a lot of teaching. In fact, she has a course coming up, which I definitely recommend. It's called "The Business and Economics of Space", starting in November.

In this episode, Sinéad and I discuss her journey, the business of space, boring problems in space, strategy applied to space, challenges of building space companies in the public market among others.

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01:46: Intro & Sinéad's journey

12:28: What's exciting about the space industry today?

15:42: What should investors be wary of?

19:13: Boring problems in space

27:15: Strategy applied to the space industry

34:30: Building in the public markets in the space industry

36:53: Space and climate

42:13: Interplanetary economics

46:53: What worries Sinéad about the space industry

49:03: Wrap-up

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In this episode, I am speaking with Rei Goffer, the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Tomorrow.io. We discuss Rei's journey, how weather forecasting works and the role of satellites in it, Tomorrow's products, why they decided to launch satellites being a software company and more.

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01:36: Rei's journey

03:59: An overview of Tomorrow.io

05:38: How weather forecasting works

10:13: Who are the customers of Tomorrow.io?

11:47: What sets Tomorrow.io apart from other weather companies

18:01: Why launch satellites in the first place?

25:51: Some details on the satellite constellation

28:19: The reaction from the space industry and the US Government

32:55: Competition within the space industry?

35:50: Tomorrow's plans for the future

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This episode is about Africa. There's not a great deal of information about the African space ecosystem and how space industry works over there.

So, I invited Temidayo Oniosun, the Managing Director of Space in Africa, a startup providing business and market analysis for the African space Industry. In this episode, Temidayo and I discuss the landscape for space in Africa, how important space is for Africa and more.

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01:16: Temidayo's story

02:50: An overview to the African space ecosystem

11:12: Launch in Africa

15:25: Earth observation in Africa

24:28: How important is space for Africa?

30:16:What are the main opportunities for investing in space tech for Africa?

33:30: Who are the major partners for the African space industry?

35:35: What is Africa's USP?

37:53: What do people get wrong about the African space ecosystem?

39:20: How does the African space industry look like in 2030?

41:05: Space exploration missions from Africa?

42:00 Is space for everyone? Does Africa feel included?

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This episode is about China. We usually get news about the space industry in China in bits and pieces - from when they are launching to what kind of satellites they are launching as well as their overall space policy.

In order to get a comprehensive overview of the Chinese space ecosystem, I decided to invite Blaine Curcio to my podcast. Blaine aka #ChinaSpaceGuy is the founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting and a Senior Affliate Consultant at Euroconsult (also check out his podcast/newsletter on space in China)

As his alias suggests, Blaine is the go-to-person in the industry for news about space in China. It was great to chat with him and get an idea of how the space industry works in China.

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01:28: Blaine's story

03:20: An overview to the Chinese space industry

08:20: How important is space tech to China?

12:26: Launch in China

17:50: Where does the demand for launch come from?

22:45: Earth observation in China

31:07: Space exploration and human spaceflight in China

34:03: How public budget allocation is made for space in China

37:55: Who are China's partners in space?

46:30: What is China's biggest USP?

49:18: One exciting thing about the Chinese space industry

51:19: What do people get wrong about the Chinese space ecosystem?

53:26: What does the space industry look like in China in 2030?

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This episode is about India. Not many people both within and outside the space industry know a lot about the Indian ecosystem. So, I decided to invite Narayan Prasad to get an overview of space in India.

Narayan is currently the COO of satsearch, a startup based in the Netherlands. In the last few years, Narayan has become the go-to-person to speak about the Indian space ecosystem. He has worked closely with ISRO and the Indian government, advised Indian space startups as well as been a core point of contact, really, for the space industry in India.

Narayan hosts the NewSpace India podcast, which I really recommend and has also published his thoughts on the Indian space industry in various publications.

It was a pleasure to have him on the podcast to speak about the Indian space ecosystem. And even though I am from India, I learnt a lot of interesting things about the Indian space ecosystem.

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01:47: Narayan's story

12:16: An overview of the Indian space ecosystem - past to present

22:34: Is military space a thing in India?

30:47: India's launch ecosystem

45:10: The potential for Earth observation in India

56:01: OneWeb, Starlink and the future of satellite internet for India

01:01:52: What should a potential investor know about the Indian space ecosystem?

01:07:27: What are the most exciting things about the Indian space industry?

01:10:30: What is the USP for the Indian space industry?

01:13:33: What do people get wrong about space in India?

01:17:48: What does satsearch do?

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Today, I am speaking to Joe Morrison (again - he was my guest on the first episode of this podcast). We decided to record this conversation spontaneously after hearing about the SPAC exit announcements in Earth observation - specifically the ones of Satellogic and Planet that happened back to back.

If you are not familiar about the Earth observation market, you can check out Episode 1 of this podcast. We had a lot of fun chatting about all things EO, and I hope you will too.

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Today I am speaking with John Holst, who is an independent analyst in the space industry. John conducted space operations for in the United States Air Force and space segment testing for the Missile Defense Agency. He has performed research and worked for the Space Foundation and Quilty Analytics, and continues to work on publications in the space industry.

John also writes an interesting blog on the state of the space industry and the path towards commercialisation.

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00:30: John's story

04:07: About John's blog

06:00: How commercial is the space industry, outside defence?

12:02: Dependency of the launch industry on defence

20:40: How long will the defence industry continue to be an anchor customer for Earth observation companies?

29:20: When could space technologies be used commercially first before being adopted by governments and military?

37:20: Commercialisation of space exploration

45:15: 1-line for the space industry

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Today I am speaking with Shelli Brunswick, the Chief Operating Officer of the Space Foundation. Shelli is also a coach, mentor, advisor and is part of a number of important organisations such as UNOOSA Space4Women, Women Tech Network and Women in Aerospace.

In this episode, Shelli and I talk about diversity (or the lack thereof) in the space industry, in terms of gender, nationality, ethnicity and educational background. We also discuss the actions we can take to bring more underrepresented groups into the space industry in order to make space truly accessible for all.

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01:10: Shelli's story

07:51: What does the Space Foundation do?

11:20: Thoughts on diversity in the space industry (gender, nationality, ethnicity and educational background)

15:25: How to improve gender diversity in the space industry

19:58: How can we make space more global (improving the nationality diversity)

23:59: What are some ways to make the space industry more accessible for all?

28:30: The current state of space and the major trends in the space industry

34:38: The 1 action we can take today to improve diversity in the space industry

37:50: What could go wrong in the future of space?

40:20: 1 line for the space industry

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Today, I am speaking with Simon Drake, an entrepreneur and investor in the space industry. Simon is the Founding Partner of Space Ventures Investors, focusing on early-stage startups. He is also the CEO of Space Commodities Exchange and Lunar Resources Registry, two organisations focused on the lunar economy.

Simon and I talk about the lunar exploration market, the commercial case for going to the Moon and the importance of involving the mining industry in extracting resources on the Moon. We also discuss the feasibility of asteroid mining as well as the arguments for investing in the lunar economy.

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01:12: Simon's story and what his work involves

08:28: Why go to the Moon? What is the cislunar economy?

19:23: Why would governments and people be interested in mining the Moon?

23:42: Do the mining industry see a business case in the Moon?

27:43: How big of a milestone will Starship be in kicking off the lunar economy?

31:45: Is continuous human presence on the Moon necessary?

35:18: What is the deal with asteroid mining?

38:48: What is the argument for investors to back lunar exploration companies?

45:15: What can go wrong with respect to the lunar exploration plans?

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Today, I am speaking with Raphael Roettgen. Raphael is an investor and venture capitalist whose firm E2MC Ventures invests in space businesses. Raphael is also the co-CEO of Space Acquisition Corp I, a SPAC focused on the space industry. He is also a lecturer, writer and podcaster with over twenty years of experience in global financial markets at investment banks and hedge funds.

In this episode, we talk about investing in the space industry, the differences between investing in space versus other deep tech domains as well as prospects for the future of the space economy. Raphael and I share the same passion for demystifying space tech and so, we also discussed space outreach and ideas for making space tech accessible for all.

Check out Raphael's book, podcast and course here: https://raphaelroettgen.com/

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01:52: Raphael's story

11:25 Is it overwhelming to get into the space industry?

18:23 How is investing in space different from other deep tech domains?

20:53 Raphael's perspective of SPACs and Space Acquisition Corp I

23:12 Investing exercise: Would you invest in a launcher startup from India, Earth observation data analytics startup and an in-orbit manufacturing exercise?

29:19 Should space investors invest in Earth observation startups?

33:35 Space industry's prospects in the short-term, mid-term and long-term

38:55 What is the biggest gap in space outreach today?

43:13 What is the best place to start to understand the space industry?

45:23 What are the most exciting technologies coming up in space?

47:58 Raphael's 1-line for the space industry

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Today, I am speaking with Guillermo Söhnlein. Guillermo has over 20 years of experience in technology innovation, "NewSpace" ventures, and early-stage investments. From co-founding technology companies in Silicon Valley to launching the Space Angels Network, from organising ocean exploration expeditions to advising emerging space ventures, he has had quite a fascinating career. Currently, Guillermo is part of the advisory team at New Vista Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC focused on the aerospace and defence sector.

In this episode, Guillermo and I discuss a number of subjects including the evolution of investing in space companies in the last 15 years, the similarities with the internet era, and of course, SPACs. Guillermo also gives his perspectives on exploring the oceans as well as why we should also be looking at Venus for human settlement.

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01:54: Guillermo's story

03:30: Guillermo's experience across industries and how it relates to working in space tech

05:58: Does the space industry have anything in common with other industries?

08:58: What has changed in the space industry in the last 20 years?

10:58: What is the next big thing in the space industry?

14:45: The similarities between the growth of the internet and the commercialisation of space

17:02: The Space Angels Network and investing in SpaceTech

25:05: Guillermo's perspectives on SPACs and working with New Vista

29:59: Guillermo's thoughts on exploration and what it means

34:10: Are we doing enough to explore the oceans? How is it related to space exploration?

40:27: Exploring the solar system and making a case for Venus

46:10: What could go wrong in the next decade?

49:22: What Guillermo is excited about in the space industry

51:01: Guillermo's 1-line for the space industry

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Today, I am speaking with Luigi Scatteia, who is a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers or PwC, within its Space Practice. 

Luigi and I discuss how space policy is set up in Europe with institutions like the European Space Agency and the European Commission. We then move on to discussing the Earth Observation market, the Copernicus Programme and its applications for the European Green Deal. We also talk about how to improve the uptake of Earth Observation data and the role of professional services firms such as PwC in bringing satellite data to different sectors.

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01:21: Luigi's story and how he ended up working in the space industry

05:42: What does PwC have to do with space, and what are they involved in?

09:52 How is space organised in Europe within ESA and the European Commission?

16:02 Is there a market for Earth observation today?

22:17: What are some sectors that are using Earth observation today based on PwC's experience?

28:16: The potential for Earth observation in the European Green Deal

31:05: The role of PwC in enhancing the uptake of Earth Observation data

34:14: What Luigi is looking forward to in the space industry

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Today, I am speaking with Doug Mohney. Doug has been working in and writing about IT & satellite industries for over 20 years. His real-world experience including stints at two start-ups, a commercial internet service provider that went public in 1997 for $150 million and a satellite internet broadband company that didn't. 

We discuss all things satellite communication, particularly satellite broadband, the promise of connecting with the world by SpaceX, Amazon and a couple of other companies and whether they will. I also get Doug's perspectives on the similarities between the start of the internet era in the late 90s and the NewSpace era today.

Follow Doug on Twitter at @DougonIPComm.

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01:09: Doug's story and how he ended up in the space industry

04:51: What are the similarities/differences between the IT era of the late 90s and today's NewSpace era

08:19: Where is the demand coming from, for all the rockets being developed

20:40: Chances of a Big 5 in Space similar to the Big 5 in Tech

26:32: Can space companies become telecom companies?

33:08: Have we solved the connectivity problem for the world with satellites?

35:35: The satellite-based IoT market

39:50 Space tugs and their impact on the launch market

41:10 The importance of antennas in the satellite communication market

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Today, I am speaking with Namrata Goswami, a strategic analyst and consultant on space policy, international relations, great power politics and alternate futures. Namrata has authored a number of books on those topics with the latest one focusing on the second space race titled, "Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space", co-authored with Peter Garrettson.

In this episode, Namrata and I discuss all things geopolitics and how it is very relevant in the world of space. We touch upon topics including whether there is a cold war brewing between the US and China, the role of Russia, India, Japan and Europe in the global space race and the emergence of the spacefaring nations in the Middle East.

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01:30: Namrata's story: From growing up in north-east India to becoming a geopolitical expert

03:03: About Namrata's recent book

05:49: Is geopolitics in space still relevant?

08:31: Is geopolitics in space underrated?

12:52: What is the 'space power theory?'

15:59: Why do we have so many space agencies being established today?

19:35: About the series 'For All Mankind' on Apple TV+

22:31: Is there a cold war developing between the US and China?

27:17: Where does Russia fit into the picture?

30:05: What is the role of Europe in the new space race?

34:07: No borders from space vs borders on Earth

36:53: India's position in the global space race

40:05: What about the role of Japan in the future?

43:04: The emergence of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and potentially Turkey

50:15: The impact of geopolitics in space arms and military

54:28: Why Elon Musk is so important for the space industry

58:24: What should we be worried about in terms of our future in space?

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Today, I am speaking with Pierre Lionnet, the Research & Managing Director at Eurospace, the trade association of the European space manufacturing industry. Pierre is an economist with more than 25 years of experience in the space industry, and a well-known expert on space markets.

In this episode, Pierre and I discuss what is NewSpace, recent developments in the launch sector, launcher economics particularly focusing on the micro launcher segment, meaning small-lift launch vehicles capable of lifting up to 2,000 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Being an experienced analyst, Pierre provides a realistic assessment of the recent developments in the launch sector.

Pierre's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eurospacepierrelionnet/

Pierre's Twitter: https://twitter.com/lionnetpierre
 

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01:42 Pierre's story
05:55 What is Eurospace? 
08:45 How policy-driven is the space industry?
13:10 What is NewSpace - is it based on the source of funding or based on the source of revenues?
26:04 Number of launch companies needed to satisfy the market demand
35:46 The business case of Astra (a small-lift launch vehicle)
40:14 Why is there so much investment flowing into the space industry?
48:41 The last-mile delivery market in space transportation
53:31 The importance of price and quality of service in the launch market
59:39 Is Uber & Deliveroo part of the space industry? 
1:07:10 What Pierre is looking forward to in the space industry (hint: Earth Observation & SpaceX Starlink)
1:11:10 The 1-line Pierre wants to tell the space industry

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Today, I have a very interesting guest, one who wears 3 different hats - a self-proclaimed space enthusiast, a venture capitalist and a space entrepreneur, Delian Asparouhov. 

Delian is a Principal at Founders Fund, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that has invested in SpaceX, Palantir, Facebook, Airbnb and more. Delian also recently cofounded Varda Space Technologies that is building factories in space in order to manufacture products for use on Earth.

In this episode, Delian and I talk about his story, how he juggles multiple roles and his perspectives on the space industry including the recent phenomenon of SPACs. I also got to hear some of his plans for Varda and how he sees in-space manufacturing evolving over the next few years.

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01:53 Delian's story

07:04 Why Delian is passionate about space

08:52 How Delian managed to keep track of developments in space tech without actually being in the space industry

13:20 Why are we hearing so much about the space industry recently

17:23 Delian's thoughts on SPACs and whether Varda will also look at a potential SPAC

23:54 Delian's comprehensive overview of the space industry

35:00 About Varda's plans for space factories and manufacturing in-orbit 

39:43 Why isn't anybody doing this and looking at this market?

42:05 How will we get the manufactured products down from space? (Note: we wait for further updates)

43:55 Will there be more startups working on space factories founded as a result of Varda?

45:25 Is in-space manufacturing the next big thing in space tech?

48:46 Should we get more people excited about space?

51:05 What could go wrong in the next decade or so?

53:53 What does the space industry not do well?

55:42 Delian's favourite hat to wear - space advocate/space-tech VC/ space entrepreneur

Today, I am speaking with Laura Seward Forcyzk.

Laura is the owner of space consulting firm Astralytical specializing in space science, industry, and policy, and also offering space career coaching services. She is a NASA Subject Matter Expert for planetary science missions. She has researched astrophysics and planetary science at three NASA centers, flown two parabolic “Zero Gravity” campaigns and conducted geological research in a meteor crater. She is also the author of "Rise of the Space Age Millennials."

In this episode, we discuss a lot of exciting topics including when are we going to be space tourists, how much do we need to save for going to space and whether we will start going to space for a vacation. We also talk about the use of stratospheric balloons for space tourism, the effects of going to space on the human body as well as the importance of space for Earth.

Follow Laura on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraForczyk and check out Astralytical: https://www.astralytical.com/

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Chapters:

01:40: Laura's story
04:35: About Astralytical
07:30: About Laura experiencing zero-gravity
10:42: When are we going to be space tourists? 
14:48: How much do I need to save for going to space? And, when can I go? 
18:18: Are we going to have space hotels? Are we going to start going to space for a vacation?
21:30: Going to the edge of space through stratospheric balloons
25:20: Should we make space tourism more equitable? Can we?
29:26: Why are we talking about the space industry so much these days?
34:26: Laura's take on the developments in the launch sector
37:40: Understanding the importance of space technologies for life on Earth
41:07: Team Moon or Team Mars?
42:21: Team Human Exploration or Team Robotic Exploration?
44:24: What impact does going to outer space have on the human body?
46:26 What is Laura looking forward to in space tech? 
48:21 Is Pluto a planet?
49:23 What is the 1-line you want to say to the space industry?

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Our guest today is Jeff Crusey, a venture capital investor at Seraphim Capital that invests predominantly in space tech. Seraphim has invested in many startups across space domains including Spire, Iceye, D-Orbit as well as AST & Science.

In this episode, Jeff provides his perspectives on the space industry, including the recent developments in space tech and the applications of space technologies for Earth. We discuss how big of a problem space debris is and how companies are using innovative technologies to tackle it. Jeff also has some interesting thoughts on what the space industry could do better - to tell better stories with a bigger vision.

Chapters:

01:55: Jeff's Story

06:30: What is the "Space Industry?"

08:55: Why Create an Investment Thesis Around Investing in Space?

12:50: Is Space Debris a Big Problem?

14:25: Are We Worrying Too Much About Space Debris? How Can We Clean Space?

16:14: Do We Need More VCs Investing in SpaceTech?

18:27: Would You Invest in an Earth Observation Company, a Satellite IoT Company or a Launch Company?

21:53: SPACs and Space

24:33: What Can the Space Industry Do Better?

27:09: What Would You Want to Say to the Space Industry?

This episode is all about investing in space. Our guest today is Andrew Lapham, the CEO of Northern Private Capital, a private equity firm based in Canada. In 2019, Northern Private Capital acquired MDA, the Canadian aerospace company, from Maxar Technologies of the US, for a deal valued at about 1 billion Canadian dollars.

In this episode, Andrew provides an investor's perspective on the space industry. As an outsider who ventured into space by investing in MDA, Andrew has some interesting insights on the recent trends in space tech including Earth observation, launchers, robotics and space exploration. He also some thoughts on the recent phenomenon of SPACs in the space industry as well as suggestions for investors exploring opportunities in space tech.

Chapters:

01:39: About Andrew and Northern Private Capital (NPC)

04:31: Andrew's Perspective on SPACs

09:28: Segments of the Space Industry That Were Easier to Understand As A Generalist Investor

12:06: Satellite Systems

13:32: Robotics

15:04: Earth Observation

18:03 Invest in an Earth Observation Startup, a Launch Startup or A Startup Building A Moon Lander? (Hypothetically)

23:30 Strategic Outlook for MDA

28:30 Does Andrew Recommend the Space Industry to Non-Space Investors?

31:15 What Does The Space Industry Do Well? And What Can it Improve?

34:03 What Are You Most Looking Forward To In Space Tech?

In this first episode, I am stoked to have Joe Morrison on the podcast to talk about all things Earth Observation - the domain of space tech related to collecting data about the Earth through sensors in satellites.

Welcome to the TerraWatch Space podcast. This is Aravind. In this podcast, I will attempt to decode what is going on in the space industry, by interviewing thought leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, space professionals and more, to get their perspectives..