The Unknown Quantity – Dr. Doug Plata - October 1, 2026

The journey to the stars will require more than better propulsion. It will require new materials capable of surviving the extreme conditions of space.Join us Monday, November 2, at 8 PM Eastern, as Dr. Joseph Meany, materials scientist and President of the Interstellar Research Group, joins The Unknown Quantity LIVE.We'll explore graphene, advanced materials, protecting space infrastructure from radiation and high velocity impacts, and the scientific and engineering challenges of interstellar travel.From today's research to tomorrow's space infrastructure, we'll examine what it takes to turn ambitious ideas into practical technologies.Join us LIVE and bring your questions!

The journey to the stars will require more than better propulsion. It will require new materials capable of surviving the extreme conditions of space.Join us Monday, November 2, at 8 PM Eastern, as Dr. Joseph Meany, materials scientist and President of the Interstellar Research Group, joins The Unknown Quantity LIVE.We'll explore graphene, advanced materials, protecting space infrastructure from radiation and high velocity impacts, and the scientific and engineering challenges of interstellar travel.From today's research to tomorrow's space infrastructure, we'll examine what it takes to turn ambitious ideas into practical technologies.Join us LIVE and bring your questions

Who owns what in space, and are current laws ready for a commercial space economy?Join us Thursday, October 29, at 8 PM Eastern, as attorney Camisha L. Simmons returns to The Unknown Quantity LIVE.We'll discuss space property rights, Lunar resource development, and the U.S. and international laws shaping investment and business beyond Earth.Can today's legal frameworks support tomorrow's space economy?Join us LIVE and bring your questions!

The commercial space industry is full of ambitious ideas, but turning those ideas into sustainable businesses requires more than technology and investment. It requires understanding the economics, infrastructure, and practical challenges of building an industry beyond Earth.Join us Monday, October 26, at 8 PM Eastern, as we welcome Chip Joyce to The Unknown Quantity LIVE.We'll discuss the current state of commercial space, the challenges facing companies trying to turn emerging capabilities into viable businesses, and what it will take to move from ambitious concepts to sustainable commercial operations.Expect a candid conversation about the opportunities, obstacles, and economic realities shaping the future of the space economy.Join us LIVE and bring your questions!

Space exploration has never suffered from a shortage of ambitious visions. But turning those visions into sustainable commercial enterprises requires more than enthusiasm. It requires confronting the technical, economic, and institutional realities of building a space economy.Join us Thursday, October 22, as we welcome **Shubber Ali**, one of the original Space Cynics, to *The Unknown Quantity LIVE*.We'll explore the evolution of the commercial space industry, examine how its promises have measured up against reality, and discuss what it will take to turn today's ambitions into tomorrow's viable markets.Expect a candid conversation that challenges assumptions, questions conventional wisdom, and examines the opportunities and obstacles shaping the future of commercial space.

Building a permanent presence on the Moon and Mars will require more than rockets and spacecraft. It will require the technology and infrastructure to develop and operate on extraterrestrial surfaces.Join us as we welcome *Christopher (Chris) Catalano of Dunamis A-T-G* to explore the challenges and opportunities of lunar and Martian surface and subsurface development, and the technologies that could help make sustained operations possible.

*The Unknown Quantity Special: DOWNMASS*October 15, 2026 | 8 PM ET | LIVE | 90 MinutesGetting to space is only half the equation. Bringing value back to Earth could transform the space economy.Join Andrew Parlock, Professor Greg Autry, Joe Latrell, Aaron Oesterle, and Sean Key as we explore the technology, economics, and investment opportunities of downmass.Hosted by Thomas Andrew Olson, co-hosted by Michael Laine, and produced by Better Futures.Live on LinkedIn and YouTube.

The Unknown Quantity is where money and space meet, and where the people shaping the commercial space industry become a little less unknown.We start by asking, What is happening right now? For the first 25 minutes, we break down the news, investment, technology, policy, and sometimes the hype. We debate, disagree, speculate, joke, and occasionally work through ideas in real time.Then we bring in the Unknown Quantity, the founders, investors, policymakers, and technologists making the industry happen.Hosted by Thomas Andrew Olson of the Center for Space Commerce and Finance, cohosted by Michael Laine of LiftPort Group, and produced by Better Futures Inc.Come for what is happening. Stay for who is making it happen, and have some fun learning about the Unknown Quantity.

The Unknown Quantity is where money and space meet, and where the people shaping the commercial space industry become a little less unknown.We start by asking, What is happening right now? For the first 25 minutes, we break down the news, investment, technology, policy, and sometimes the hype. We debate, disagree, speculate, joke, and occasionally work through ideas in real time.Then we bring in the Unknown Quantity, the founders, investors, policymakers, and technologists making the industry happen.Hosted by Thomas Andrew Olson of the Center for Space Commerce and Finance, cohosted by Michael Laine of LiftPort Group, and produced by Better Futures Inc.Come for what is happening. Stay for who is making it happen, and have some fun learning about the Unknown Quantity.

We start by asking, What is happening right now? For the first 25 minutes, we break down the news, investment, technology, policy, and sometimes the hype. We debate, disagree, speculate, joke, and occasionally work through ideas in real time.Then we bring in the Unknown Quantity, the founders, investors, policymakers, and technologists making the industry happen.Hosted by Thomas Andrew Olson of the Center for Space Commerce and Finance, cohosted by Michael Laine of LiftPort Group, and produced by Better Futures Inc.Come for what is happening. Stay for who is making it happen, and have some fun learning about the Unknown Quantity.