The Kármán Line

Haymarket Media Group Ltd

Interested in the business of space? Dr Alice Bunn, former-international director of UK Space Agency and now president of UKspace, helps you identify investment opportunities, cut through policy and regulation, assemble your supply chains and get stuff done.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. Space sustainability: Turning orbital debris into a national niche

    4d ago

    Space sustainability: Turning orbital debris into a national niche

    The idea of 14,000 satellites in low earth orbit sounds pretty scary but in context there’s over a million cars on the road in the UK alone and low earth orbit is a really big 3D space. So, should people be worried about space sustainability? Shouldn’t they just relax and remember there’s loads and loads of space out there?   Or should they still be scared? What happens when satellites do cross paths? If they’re all part of the SpaceX Starlink constellation they’ll talk to each other instantaneously and get out of the way. But what if the contact is with a satellite from another country? Is it fair to say they’re on the equivalent of email or telephone? And what if they do collide? Will it be like the experiment in 2007 when the Chinese fired a missile at a defunct weather satellite? On the one hand, “great shot lads, you’ve hit something moving at 4km per second” but on the other, “you’ve probably caused a millennia worth of debris problems”. If it’s within our capabilities to move bikes and cars and trains and planes around the world in an ordered fashion, shouldn’t it be well within human capabilities to extend the use of space?  Is there a role for the UK in being “the AA” of space and is the UK-New Zealand debris removal agreement a useful step down this road?  Join Alice and Jonners as they talk to Phil Buckley, partner at the Public Service Consultants and a specialist in space sustainability, about the perils and pitfalls of satellite traffic jams and an opportunity that the UK “could be absolutely brilliant at”. Contributors: Alice Bunn, President of UKspace  Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn   Jonathan Daves, The Karman Line Jonathan Daves | LinkedIn Phil Buckley, Partner at the PSC Phil Buckley | LinkedIn Key topics covered: Space sustainabilityThe Kessler effectSpace debrisStarlinkUK-New Zealand agreementSpace trafficThe Fengyun weather satelliteRefuellingServicing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 min
  2. Space comms: why rockets really aren’t the story

    May 18

    Space comms: why rockets really aren’t the story

    Why do people in the space sector think they have a comms problem and yet the public at large think space is sexy? Should we stop evangelising about the technology that gets stuff into space rather than the core marketing message? After all, KFC is about the chicken not the trucks that deliver it. What are the leadership opportunities in the UK from launch in Scotland and what is the “environmental conscience” behind that endeavour? And how did we end up with kids in St Austell working on global lunar space missions on the back of a famous “failure”? Join Alice, Jess Ratty from Halo Global and John Harrington UK editor of PR Week, as they confront the introspection of space and figure out better ways of confounding British understatement and amazing a world of would-be investors. Contributors: Alice Bunn, President of UKspace  Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn   Jess Ratty, Founder and Leader, Halo Global Jess Ratty | LinkedIn John Harrington, UK Editor, PR Week John Harrington | LinkedIn PR Week UK Key topics covered: CommunicationsMarketingLeadership opportunitiesSaxa Vord launchEnvironmentSpaceport CornwallVirgin Orbit’s “Start me Up” mission Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min
  3. Space law: are existing legal frameworks fit for purpose?

    May 7

    Space law: are existing legal frameworks fit for purpose?

    With a mind boggling 1.8 million satellites filed for launch before 2030 how are we going to manage the congested and contested realm of space? We know about warfare in space but how about lawfare in space? Who actually owns the moon? More pointedly, who owns the resources of the moon?  How useful are the UK’s regulatory frameworks and how do you dispose of a fridge in low earth orbit? Join Alice, Jonners and international lawyer Joanne Wheeler, “the single powerhouse behind many of the space business successes”, as they mull on the legal challenges of an exponentially growing race for space. Contributors: Alice Bunn, President of UKspace  Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn   Jonathan Daves, The Karman Line Jonathan Daves | LinkedIn Joanne Wheeler, Managing Partner, Alden Legal Joanne Wheeler | LinkedIn Key topics covered: International lawRegulatory frameworksMoon miningMoonrise projectSpace congestionDual use Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
  4. Mark Garnier: The financial sector needs to invest in space now!

    Apr 21

    Mark Garnier: The financial sector needs to invest in space now!

    How can Britain exploit the “astonishing opportunity” to become a global energy supplier from space? Why is space an engineering problem not a £7 billion physics problem like nuclear fusion? What did Gordon Brown do that transformed the UK film industry and why is this relevant to space? What connects the Crusades, crates of gold, coffee shops, blockchain and space? Join Alice, Jonners and Mark Garnier MP as they figure out if space investment is big, messy and complicated or actually straightforward. And they argue why the UK Government must get properly involved. Contributors: Alice Bunn, President of UKspace  Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn   Jonathan Daves, The Karman Line Jonathan Daves | LinkedIn Mark Garnier, MP for Wyre Forest Mark Garnier | LinkedIn Key topics covered: Solar energyNuclear fusionSpace investmentSpace XUK financial sectorGovernment rolePublic awarenessParliament Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  5. Artemis II: Never, ever, ever talk about rockets and astronauts

    Apr 9

    Artemis II: Never, ever, ever talk about rockets and astronauts

    So, we’re flying humans around the moon and bringing them back. But why are we doing it? To build a strategic outpost? To play power games? To do science? And if it's science, isn’t the useful value of resources on the moon a bit opaque? For example, why do we need to mine helium-3 when we can produce it on earth? More problematic, if you’re investing billions of dollars in putting sensitive instruments on the moon and you’ve got good access to light and frozen water, what happens when somebody else comes along and says: “I’d quite like a bit of that as well please”? How quickly does astropolitics become geopolitics?   Join Alice and her guests, Libby Jackson, Head of Space at the Science Museum and Ian Annett, Chair UKSpace Launch Committee, as they debate the value of Artemis II and celebrate the idea of being driven to push boundaries. “We’re human, what can we do?”   Contributors: Alice Bunn, President of UKspace  Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn   Ian Annett, Chair UKSpace Launch Committee Ian Annett | LinkedIn   Libby Jackson OBE FRAeS, Head of Space, the Science Museum Libby Jackson OBE FRAeS | LinkedIn Key topics covered: Artemis IIApollo missionsMining on the moonAstropoliticsCollaboration in spaceCost of commercial launchesSecurity in spaceThe lunar economyMars missionsUnderstanding evolutionKerosene alternatives Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  6. Will Whitehorn: “We have to industrialise in space. It is an imperative”

    Apr 2

    Will Whitehorn: “We have to industrialise in space. It is an imperative”

    How do we solve population pressure and climate crisis in space? How has GPS allowed us to provide 12% more food globally? How did the UK become a global leader in small satellite manufacture after the British Government said, “there’s no future for the UK satellite industry”? How did Elon Musk turn reusable rockets from science fiction to science fact in less than 20 years? What else are “Elon and Jeff” going to allow us to do? And why is SpaceX still “the elephant in the room”?   Join Alice as she talks to Will Whitehorn, chair of giant space tech investor Seraphim and former president of Virgin Galactic, and they discuss the implications of “The Elon Musk show” and its legacy, “the beginnings of a competitive space industry of scale”.   Contributors: Alice Bunn, President of UKspace  Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn   Will Whitehorn OBE, Seraphim Space Investment Trust Will Whitehorn OBE | LinkedIn Key topics covered: UK satellite manufactureUK universitiesSpaceX valuationReuseable rocketsAgricultural managementPopulation pressureClimate crisisSolar powerData centres in spaceIndustrialising in space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min
  7. Space-Comm Expo: Jamming, spoofing, FOMO and farming

    Mar 26

    Space-Comm Expo: Jamming, spoofing, FOMO and farming

    What did the Space-Comm Expo conference and exhibition tell us about connecting space and wider business?  How does this manifest as tech connectivity in telecoms and why do farmers care about that? What did we learn about the benefits of extreme cold in manufacturing laboratories and why do pharmas care about that? How vulnerable are global logistics to the spoofing of navigation signals? And why is the UK government centralising space strategy in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology?   Join Alice and Jonners as they reflect on the UK space sector’s largest trade event and the “energy, diversity and …sheer scope of what this industry has to offer”.   Contributors: Alice Bunn, President of UKspace  Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn   Jonathan Daves, The Karman Line Jonathan Daves | LinkedIn   Key topics covered: Space-Comm Expo, London, March 2026 Conference overview Sector integration Insurance Customer utility Government role Future outlook   Technological advancements ·  Telecoms ·  Manufacturing   Defence and security ·  Satellite capabilities ·  Current threats Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    20 min
  8. Is the space industry on a crash course with the environment?

    Mar 11 ·  Bonus

    Is the space industry on a crash course with the environment?

    The space race is on but scientists are worried for our ozone. As this new frontier looks to expand with new investors, how should the environment sector respond? Plus, an unprecedented recommendation from the Environment Agency concerning PFAS. Listen to the ECO Chamber to find out more.  Once only the domain of US and Russian governments, the cost of launching things into space has come down, enabling more and more rockets and satellites to enter space.   However, NASA has warned that the growth of space travel could cause damage to the ozone layer. Dr Alice Bunn, the UK Space Agency’s former international director, joins the team this week to discuss the fine line to be treaded.  PLUS: The Marine Management Organisation has hired a new chief after a two-year search; South West Water has pleaded guilty to offences related to the supply of water “unfit for human consumption”; and the UK has legislated a lead shot ban – the first chemicals restriction since Brexit.  The ECO Chamber is brought to you by journalists at ENDS Report. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  9. Why the business of space is everyone’s business

    Mar 3

    Why the business of space is everyone’s business

    As of 2026, the UK space industry is a significant and strategic driver of the national economy, contributing over £19 billion in revenue and supporting tens of thousands of high-skilled jobs. Satellite-based services and data underpin roughly 18% of UK GDP, equivalent to approximately £454 billion of the wider economy. And the sector is growing exponentially. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. For the space industry to fully realise its potential it needs more of the right people to understand what’s happening and get involved. People like policy makers, investors, regulators, planners, communicators, lawyers and consultants. Dr Alice Bunn, the president of UK Space, and her panel of guests, Sam Alden co-CEO of Space Solar, Nick Shave managing director of Astroscale and Anushka Sharma founder of Naaut, discuss the surprising, awe inspiring business of space and make the compelling case for why more companies and investors should get involved.  Contributors: Host: Alice Bunn, President of UKspace  Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn Guests: Nick Shave, Managing Director of Astroscale Nick Shave FRAeS | LinkedIn Astroscale: Overview | LinkedIn Sam Adlen, CEO of Space Solar Sam Adlen | LinkedIn Space Solar: Overview | LinkedIn Anushka Sharma, founder of Naaut Anushka Sharma | LinkedIn Naaut: About | LinkedIn Key topics covered: Impact of Space on Everyday Life Practical ApplicationsEnvironmental MonitoringGlobal Security Sustainability and Innovation in Orbit Space DebrisManufacturing in MicrogravitySpace-Based Solar Power Economic and Regulatory Landscape Cost ReductionInvestment and FinanceRegulation and Policy The Future of Space Exploration New PlatformsAcademic Contribution Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min
  10. Introducing the Kármán Line

    Season 1 Trailer

    Introducing the Kármán Line

    Introducing the Kármán Line, the only channel dedicated to the UK space industry. Whether you're an investor, innovator, lawyer or scientist, if you want to keep up to date with this fast moving, full-of-potential sector listen to our interviews with the leading figures in the sector. Dr Alice Bunn, former-international director of UK Space Agency and now president of UKspace, joins the show. More to come. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min

Trailer

About

Interested in the business of space? Dr Alice Bunn, former-international director of UK Space Agency and now president of UKspace, helps you identify investment opportunities, cut through policy and regulation, assemble your supply chains and get stuff done.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Haymarket Media Group Ltd
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 25139770-07fc-11f1-890f-ff521e937737
  • Show Website
    The Kármán Line

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