Q3: Big Checks and Rocket Risk

Cislunar Urgency, Space Force Must-Haves and China's Steady Lunar Build-Out by The DownLink

Elon Musk spent upwards of $445M backing Republicans in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, but the return on his investment is likely to be subpoenas, investigations into SpaceX, Tesla and federal contracts, many of which are with the U.S. Space Force. The timing is difficult, and may pose risks to the Space Force as the FY 2027 defense budget is nowhere close to becoming law. Laura Winter speaks with Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Col. Charles Galbreath, USSF (Ret.), Director and Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies at the Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence. Watch this episode on The DownLink YouTube channel. Subscribe to The DownLink newsletter: https://thedownlink.substack.com/ Follow The DownLink on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-downlink-podcast/ Not just what's over the horizon, but what's happening above it!

Institutional investors are diversifying their portfolios to include alternative assets, such as private equity and private credit. With the SpaceX IPO, some are seeking stakes in the space category, but do they understand what they're buying? From the Up/Link SpaceTech Business Summit in New York, Laura Winter speaks with Chris Quilty, Founder and Co-CEO of Quilty Space, and Drew Svor, Partner at Sheppard.

A year after German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius spoke about offensive capabilities and pledged €35B to build up military space power, the interest, desire, and need for resilient space systems have grown alongside the increasing number of hybrid attacks attributed to Russia. Laura Winter speaks with Torsten Kriening, Publisher and CEO of SpaceWatch.Global. Watch this episode on The DownLink YouTube channel. Subscribe to The DownLink newsletter: https://thedownlink.substack.com/ Follow The DownLink on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-downlink-podcast/ "Not just what's over the horizon, but what's happening above it!"

Space venture funding hit a record $3.1 billion in September — but the industry's real problem could be a scarcity of rockets, even if SpaceX’s Starship comes on-line. Laura Winter speaks with Chris Quilty, Founder and CEO of Quilty Space, and Lou Whiteman, Stock Analyst at The Motley Fool. Watch this episode on The DownLink YouTube channel⁠⁠. Subscribe to The DownLink newsletter: https://thedownlink.substack.com/ Follow The DownLink on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-downlink-podcast/ “Not just what's over the horizon, but what's happening above it!”

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman knows that breathing efficiently is really the trick that unlocks human deep space travel. He recently paid a visit to Honeywell Aerospace in Arizona and learned more about the company's clever answer that has the potential for 100% air recyclability. Laura Winter speaks with Meghan Pipitone, Lead Engineer for Air Revitalization, Honeywell Aerospace.

Did space just get short-shrift at this week’s summit? Naming China as the No1 threat, U.S. military officials did just confirm the existence of on-orbit weapons and that it will prepare for combat on and around the moon. Or were there other less-sexy agenda items that directly affect the space industrial base? Laura Winter speaks with Dean Cheng, Senior Fellow, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink reveals that the United States has placed weapons in orbit, and the new Space Force Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Douglas Schiess, lays out his priorities. Laura Winter speaks with Col. Charles Galbreath, USSF (Ret.), Director, Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence; and Col. Jennifer Reeves, USAF (Ret.), Senior Fellow at the same institution.

States are already vying to become the home of the White House's proposed Space Academy, but what critical problem set should it solve? Do we really need it? This episode — Part 2 of this two-part series and following last week's episode on the National Space Transportation Policy — focuses on the "Establishing the United States Space Academy" proclamation. Laura Winter speaks with retired Space Force Gen. David "DT" Thompson, the first Vice Chief of Space Operations; retired Space Force Lt. Gen. John Shaw, former Deputy Commander of U.S. Space Command; and Joel Mozer, first Chief Scientist of the U.S. Space Force.

Gen. Douglas Schiess just became the Space Force's third Chief of Space Operations, but in the days before the transfer of responsibility, President Donald Trump signed two new pieces of space policy that, if leveraged correctly, could have strategic effects. In this Part 1 episode, three of the nation's most experienced space professionals focus on the National Space Transportation Policy, best known for its goal of 1,000 launches a year by 2030. Laura Winter speaks with retired Space Force Gen. David "DT" Thompson, the first Vice Chief of Space Operations; retired Space Force Lt. Gen. John Shaw, former Deputy Commander of U.S. Space Command; and Joel Mozer, first Chief Scientist of the U.S. Space Force.