Ex Terra: The Journal of Space Commerce
Explores commercial space industry issues and their impacts back on Earth.
Weird Space Stuff: Jay Schwartz on the Journals of Space Commerce Podcast
In this episode, FCC Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwartz explains the bureau’s recent creation (April 2023) and its expanding mandate to manage the surge in satellite communications licensing, especially as low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) constellations now dominate 80% of applications—a 217% increase over the past decade. He outlines how the FCC coordinates with agencies like the FAA, NTIA, and international bodies to allocate scarce spectrum, proposing over 20 GHz of new bands to support rural broadband, in‑flight connectivity, and emerging lunar missions. Schwartz also discusses the challenge of keeping regulations agile, advocating for outcome‑based frameworks that allow technology to evolve while ensuring safety, including orbital‑debris rules that date back to 2004.
Using AI to Train Space Warfighters
In this episode, Tom Patton talks with Dr. Belinda Merchan, Chief Scientist at Slingshot Aerospace, about how AI is transforming space warfare training. Traditional training relied on scripted scenarios, but Slingshot’s agentic AI uses physics‑based models and proprietary tracking data...
A Million-Satellite Constellation, and Tough Sledding for Space Tourism
The episode explores SpaceX’s ambitious filing to launch up to one million satellites as an orbital data center, positioning the company toward a Kardashev Type II vision and highlighting regulatory waivers and the link to Elon Musk’s AI venture. It then...
First Deorbit-as-a-Service Contract Awarded to Starfish Space
The episode spotlights the U.S. Space Force SDA’s historic $52.5 million Deorbit‑as‑a‑Service contract awarded to Starfish Space, which will launch the Otter spacecraft to safely dispose of LEO satellites starting in 2027. It contrasts this with ESA’s $475 k award to Astroscale...
Inside AE Industrial Partners
In this episode, Tom Patton interviews Kirk Konert, Managing Partner at AE Industrial Partners, about the firm’s role in advancing the space industrial base and its view of space as essential infrastructure for the global economy. Konert explains AEI’s investment...
