Space Minds

In this episode of the Space Minds podcast, host David Ariosto speaks with Eileen Collins, retired NASA astronaut, Air Force colonel, and the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and to command a Space Shuttle mission. She is the subject of a new documentary, SPACEWOMAN, directed by Hannah Berryman, which is based on Eileen’s book “Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars” and hitting select theatres nationwide March 20. They discuss life lessons that lent themselves to a career in space and the military, the public and private challenges of leading a crew on the Space Shuttle, and the roles that humans versus artificial intelligence ought to play during space missions.👉 See more episodes in the Space Minds playlist About Space MindsSpace Minds is a new audio and video podcast from SpaceNews that focuses on the inspiring leaders, technologies and exciting opportunities in space.This weekly podcast features compelling interviews with scientists, founders and experts who love to talk about space, covers the news that has enthusiasts daydreaming, and engages with listeners. Join David Ariosto, Mike Gruss and journalists from the SpaceNews team for new episodes every Thursday.Space Minds Podcasthttps://spacenews.com/space-minds-podcastSign up for a SpaceNews newsletterhttps://spacenews.com/newsletters/

Jonathan Cirtain, astrophysicist turned tech executive and CEO of Axiom Space, shares his journey from NASA labs to building commercial orbital infrastructure. He discusses a major financing that signals LEO bankability. He outlines plans to replace ISS capabilities, train private astronauts, test deep-space tech in orbit, and the safety and governance questions around a growing commercial space economy.

In this episode of Space Minds, Jeff Foust moderates a panel at AIAA AscendxTexas on the role Texas is playing in the space economy. With a series of industry leaders they discuss the capabilities and strategies required to stay competitive especially amid global competition and accelerating demand.About Space MindsSpace Minds is a new audio and video podcast from SpaceNews that focuses on the inspiring leaders, technologies and exciting opportunities in space.This weekly podcast features compelling interviews with scientists, founders and experts who love to talk about space, covers the news that has enthusiasts daydreaming, and engages with listeners. Join David Ariosto, Mike Gruss and journalists from the SpaceNews team for new episodes every Thursday.Space Minds Podcasthttps://spacenews.com/space-minds-podcastSign up for a SpaceNews newsletterhttps://spacenews.com/newsletters/

Matt Kuda, president and co-founder of Voyager Technologies, leads commercial low Earth orbit operations and defense propulsion work. He talks about commercial stations enabling customers to keep IP. They cover downmass and rapid reentry for fast iteration and national security. Discussion includes in-space compute, sensor fusion, AI ethics, and how public-private partnerships seed new markets.

David Ariosto, author and reporter who wrote Open Space based on years covering the space industry. He teases why the Moon matters now and who might profit. He contrasts commercial momentum with state roles and explains China’s long game in space. He also revisits safety lessons from Shuttle accidents and how geopolitics is shaping commercial growth.

In this episode of Space Minds, Mike Gruss sits down with a panel of experts at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center to discuss the future of the United States Space Force. He's joined by Susanne Hake from Vantor, John Plumb from K2 Space, and Dennis Woodfork from the Johns Hopkins University. As part of an event at the Center's Discovery Series, they explored the problems congestion on orbit creates, where the Space Force needs to focus next and possible application for AI.About Space MindsSpace Minds is a new audio and video podcast from SpaceNews that focuses on the inspiring leaders, technologies and exciting opportunities in space.This weekly podcast features compelling interviews with scientists, founders and experts who love to talk about space, covers the news that has enthusiasts daydreaming, and engages with listeners. Join David Ariosto, Mike Gruss and journalists from the SpaceNews team for new episodes every Thursday.Space Minds Podcasthttps://spacenews.com/space-minds-podcast/Sign up for a SpaceNews newsletterhttps://spacenews.com/newsletters

In this episode of Space Minds, SpaceNews senior staff writer Sandra Erwin sits down with Gen. Shawn Bratton, vice chair of space operations for the U.S. Space Force for a fireside chat at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. In the next installment of the Center's Discovery Series, they explored where the Space Force is headed for 2040, the debate over refueling satellites and how Bratton came to join the military.Space Minds is a new audio and video podcast from SpaceNews that focuses on the inspiring leaders, technologies and exciting opportunities in space.This weekly podcast features compelling interviews with scientists, founders and experts who love to talk about space, covers the news that has enthusiasts daydreaming, and engages with listeners. Join David Ariosto, Mike Gruss and journalists from the SpaceNews team for new episodes every Thursday.Space Minds Podcasthttps://spacenews.com/space-minds-podcast/Sign up for a SpaceNews newsletterhttps://spacenews.com/newsletters/

Chiara Manfletti, CEO of Neuraspace and TUM professor in space mobility, focuses on space situational awareness, orbital logistics, and AI collision avoidance. Conversation covers rising launch capacity and fleet logistics. It explores AI-driven automation versus human oversight, explainable decision systems, and the economics of safety and removal of high-risk debris.

Aubrey Dunne, CTO focused on low-power onboard AI for small satellites. Roger Hunter, NASA program manager working on swarm navigation and space situational awareness. Jason Kim, CEO who led the Blue Ghost lunar lander and commercial launch efforts. They discuss dynamic targeting and low-power AI for spacecraft. Swarm experiments, lunar navigation and positioning. Commercial lunar missions, launch plans, and on-orbit software scaling.

Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews reporter on military and national security space. Jason Rainbow, SpaceNews journalist covering satellite communications and industry trends. Jeff Foust, SpaceNews reporter focused on civil space and NASA policy. They discuss Space Force budgets and cyber threats. They cover LEO broadband, D2D rivalry and spectrum deals. They probe Artemis leadership, lunar programs, supply-chain limits and AI in spacecraft.