Space Minds Speed, risk, and the future of national security space
Dec 17, 2025
In this discussion, Luke Fisher, CEO of SkyFi, emphasizes the importance of fast and actionable intelligence over just speed in launches. Bradley Cheetham, from Advanced Space, highlights the urgent need for usable capabilities, while Bob Pavelko, from Intuitive Machines, promotes a pragmatic approach using 'minimum viable products.' The panel underscores how the commercial sector is outpacing government efforts, delves into risk tolerance in experimentation, and discusses the integration of commercial and classified systems for national security.
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Ship A 70% Solution, Iterate Fast
- Push minimum viable products to users and iterate from lessons learned.
- Bob Pavelko recommends accepting 70% solutions now rather than waiting for near-perfection later.
Commercial Imagery Outruns Government Access
- Commercial Earth-observation capacity is outpacing government access and gatekeeping.
- Luke Fisher cites launch cadence and many satellites making imagery widely accessible.
Industry Can Experiment, Government Must Integrate
- Industry excels at experimentation and absorbing higher risk versus government.
- Bradley Cheetham says successful experiments must then be integrated into operational architectures quickly.