On Orbit

Rachel Jewett
  • 4.6 (20)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED MONTHLY
On Orbit

Hosted by Via Satellite's Senior Managing Editor Rachel Jewett, On Orbit is a technology podcast focused on the socioeconomic value of space and satellite capabilities.

  1. 1D AGO

    How the Ground Segment Enables Innovation in Space With Comtech’s Daniel Gizinski

    As innovation has accelerated in satellite communications in the past five years, it has put pressure on hardware and software providers to deliver greater performance and more flexible capabilities. While technology in space tends to get a lot of attention, its hardware on the ground that makes delivering services from space possible.  Last month during SATELLITE, On Orbit interviewed Daniel Gizinski, president of Comtech’s Satellite and Space Communications Segment about changes happening in the satellite ground segment, and how Comtech is evolving its offerings along with those changes. This conversation digs into what’s new in Comtech’s Elevate 2.0 VSAT platform, and digital common ground modem line. Gizinski also talks about the customer needs that drove these products, like sovereign communications, and reconfigurability.  This episode of On Orbit is sponsored by Comtech. For more information, visit comtech.com

    24 min

  2. MAR 25

    Navigating the Space Regulatory Environment in 2025 With River Advisers CEO Alexis Martin

    Navigating the space regulatory environment can be one of the biggest challenges for companies whether they are startups or established operators. Consulting firm River Advisers is trusted for its strategic regulatory advice to satcom operators, assisting with market access, licensing, and spectrum management.  On Orbit host Rachel Jewett spoke with River Advisers CEO Alexis Martin on the first day of the SATELLITE conference in D.C. about some of the most pressing regulatory issues impacting the satellite sector right now, like developing regulatory regimes for direct-to-device connectivity and differences in the international regulatory landscape. He also details growing interest in commercial communication services around the Moon and how this will require coordination at the next World Radiocommunication Conference, WRC-27. Martin also talks about how River Advisers, formerly known as ManSat, is evolving how it services clients.  This episode of On Orbit is sponsored by River Advisers. For more information, visit riveradvisers.com/

    31 min

  3. FEB 25

    Storytelling for Space: Sarah Cruddas on Communicating the Value of Space

    Space journalist and TV personality Sarah Cruddas joins the On Orbit podcast this week ahead of her appearance as guest host at SATELLITE 2025.  Sarah has had an exciting career in space journalism and communications from being a weather presenter and science correspondent to being a TV personality, industry consultant and author. She’s extremely passionate about how space technology can make life better on Earth, and wants to see the industry get out of its bubble and do a better job of communicating why space technology matters.  Sarah tells the story of how she covered the final Space Shuttle launch and landing in 2011 using a satellite dish to send a signal back to the BCC, and how she took a scientific look at reports of alien activity and UFOs as part of her work on two TV shows. We also talk about what she’s looking forward to at SATELLITE, from the keynotes, GovMilSpace program, and networking opportunities to connect with folks in the industry. This episode is sponsored by AvL Technologies. AvL Technologies is a leading manufacturer of multi-band and multi-orbit satellite communications ground terminals, serving both government and commercial markets. With terminals ranging in size from 60 cm  to 4.6 m AvL provides efficient, cost-effective solutions for voice, video, and data connectivity without the need for specialized training. AvL’s innovative and visionary approach to engineering and design ensures the critical requirements of today’s missions are met. For more information please visit avltech.com, or visit AvL at the SATELLITE Show at Booth 2118 in the Exhibit Hall.

    38 min

  4. FEB 4

    The Satellite Industry’s Policy Priorities for Trump 2.0 With Madeleine Chang

    This week on On Orbit, we hear from Madeleine Chang, director of policy for the Satellite Industry Association about the policy priorities SIA is advocating for with the new Trump administration. SIA has put together a set of priorities with agreement from its more than 50 member companies, representing a broad swath of the satellite industry. These priorities include streamlining regulations, curbing space debris, and improving space procurement, and spectrum management.  The second Trump administration is widely expected to be bullish on space capabilities, but the outlook is changing day-by-day with issues like changes in federal funding and tariffs. Madeleine points out that when SIA advocates for the satellite industry, it’s not just to advance business in the satellite industry, but because of how satellite supports critical use cases that satellite supports like PNT, national security, reliable communications, disaster relief, and more.

    40 min

  5. JAN 21

    Not Your Dad’s Space Domain Awareness, With Brien Flewelling of ExoAnalytic Solutions

    We often hear space described as congested and competitive but Dr. Brien Flewelling likes to describe the situation in space as dense, dynamic, and deep. This means that space traffic is getting denser as there are more spacecraft in orbit; it’s deeper with spacecraft in more orbits; and more dynamic as spacecraft maneuver more frequently. It's "not your dad’s space domain awareness,” he says. Brien is the director of Strategic Program Development at ExoAnalytic Solutions. He joins the On Orbit podcast this week for a conversation about space domain awareness (SDA) and how NATO coordinates SDA. He shares his takeaways from the NATO Edge and Spacepower conferences in December, about how NATO can have better coordination in space domain awareness with greater adoption of commercial capabilities. He answers what really happens when a satellite breaks apart in orbit, how decision-making in space is evolving to be more autonomous, and what’s needed to keep pace with everything being launched to orbit today.

    53 min

  6. JAN 7

    Space Situational Awareness in an Era of Weaponized Space

    This episode of the Future Space Economy series explores the dangerous, yet increasingly likely hypothetical situation that a space-faring nation breaks the Space Treaty of 1967 and brings nuclear weapons into space.  Host Jeffrey Hill interviews space law and policy experts Senjuti Mallick, business operations manager for COMSPOC, and Tatiana Sainati, partner at Wiley Rein.  Senjuti and Tatiana weigh in on what governments are doing right now to expand space situational awareness (SSA) capabilities to protect commercial interests in space. And whether these dangerous developments change the way we view satellites and spacecraft as critical infrastructure, and why SSA is one of the key investments governments and industry can make in space.  More about the Future Space Economy series here: https://www.satellitetoday.com/content-collection/future-space-economy/

    1h 3m

  7. 12/17/2024

    2024 Year in Review With Via Satellite Editors

    There’s never a slow news day in the space and satellite industry and there’s a lot to talk about from 2024 — from SES’s acquisition of Intelsat, Starlink’s commercial wins, challenges with some of the biggest manufacturers, and new launch vehicles coming online. Host Rachel Jewett is joined by fellow Via editors Mark Holmes and Jeff Hill for a discussion of some of the biggest storylines of 2024. The discussion centers around the top storylines from operators, manufacturers, and launchers, and why these are the critical stories that we’ll be covering as they continue to develop in 2025.

    55 min

  8. 12/03/2024

    Baiju Bhatt on Aetherflux’s Vision to Build a Power Grid in Space

    Tech entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, known for disrupting the investing landscape with Robinhood, has his sights on the space industry. The Robinhood co-founder left his role as chief creative officer in March of this year, and announced space solar startup Aetherflux in October.  Bhatt joins On Orbit this week to talk about why he wanted to start a space company, and tackle the goal of building a power grid in space. He shares his longtime passion for space that started with looking up to his dad who worked at NASA, and being inspired by the pace of innovation in the commercial space industry today. Aetherflux is pursuing a vision of a power grid in space — one that’s not tied to the power grid on Earth, able to beam power down to remote locations. While space solar power is not a new concept, it’s a bold vision that has not been accomplished before. Bhatt talks about Aetherflux’s approach to use satellites in LEO equipped with high power lasers to transmit solar power to ground stations down on Earth, and what kinds of opportunities a space power grid could make possible both on Earth and in space. This episode is sponsored by AvL Technologies, a leading manufacturer of multi-band and multi-orbit satellite communications ground terminals.

    35 min
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    4.6
    out of 5
    20 Ratings

    About

    Hosted by Via Satellite's Senior Managing Editor Rachel Jewett, On Orbit is a technology podcast focused on the socioeconomic value of space and satellite capabilities.

    Information

    • Creator
      Rachel Jewett
    • Years Active
      2019 - 2025
    • Episodes
      139
    • Rating
      Clean
    • Copyright
      © Access Intelligence 2024
    • Show Website
      On Orbit

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