The United Kingdom’s robust and ambitious space sector has many personalities. In this podcast series, we introduce you to three whom the UK Chapter of SSPI is considering for its prestigious Personality of the Year Award in 2024. One of these three finalists will be named the 2024 Satellite Personality of the Year live at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner in London on 2 December.

Each of the three finalists is a star who has made significant contribution to the UK and global satellite industry and whose career is a study of performance and excellence at the highest level. In the third episode, we learn a bit about Mark Boggett, CEO of Seraphim Space Fund.

Mark Boggett is the CEO and co-founder of Seraphim, an investment firm exclusively focused on SpaceTech domain globally. Seraphim launched the world’s first Space VC fund in 2016. Now operating Seraphim Space Accelerator on three continents, with >$350m raised for the seed stage alumni. Seraphim also operates a space growth fund, listed on the London Stock Exchange. Across these three elements Seraphim has built a portfolio of over 100 SpaceTech startups - the world’s most prolific investor in the space domain.

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

The United Kingdom’s robust and ambitious space sector has many personalities. In this podcast series, we introduce you to three whom the UK Chapter of SSPI is considering for its prestigious Personality of the Year Award in 2024. One of these three finalists will be named the 2024 Satellite Personality of the Year live at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner in London on 2 December. Click here to join us there!

Each of the three finalists is a star who has made significant contribution to the UK and global satellite industry and whose career is a study of performance and excellence at the highest level. In the second episode, we learn a bit about Antonio Franchi, Head of the 5G/6G NTN Programme Office at the European Space Agency (ESA).

Antonio Franchi works at the European Space Agency as the Head of the 5G/6G NTN Programme Office in the Connectivity and Secure Communications Directorate. Antonio has over 30 years of experience in the satellite telecommunications industry. Prior to ESA, Antonio worked for over 20 years with Inmarsat, a major global satellite operator, spearheading a new generation of satellite communications systems. Antonio received an MSc in Electronic Engineering from the University of Rome and an MBA from the London Business School. He is author of 30+ articles and papers published at international conferences and professional magazines, and he holds six international patents in the satcom field.

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

The United Kingdom’s robust and ambitious space sector has many personalities. In this podcast series, we introduce you to three whom the UK Chapter of SSPI is considering for its prestigious Personality of the Year Award in 2024. One of these three finalists will be named the 2024 Satellite Personality of the Year live at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner in London on 2 December. Click here to join us there!

Each of the three finalists is a star who has made significant contribution to the UK and global satellite industry and whose career is a study of performance and excellence at the highest level. In the first episode, we learn a bit more about Dr. David Parker FRAeS, Non-Executive Board Member of the UK Space Agency and Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton.

Dr. David Parker has led a distinguished thirty-five-year career in the space sector, spanning industry, UK government and the European Space Agency (ESA). Until June 2023, he served as ESA’s Director of Space Exploration at ESTEC in the Netherlands, overseeing astronaut missions to the International Space Station, Europe’s involvement in Artemis and pioneering projects like training an astronaut with a physical disability.

Previously, he was the Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency (2013-2016), where he led Tim Peake’s ISS mission and negotiated ESA’s first UK center in Harwell. Starting in the UK space industry in 1990, he contributed to projects like XMM-Newton and ExoMars. Dr. Parker holds a degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a PhD from NASA Langley Research Center. He has received several accolades, including the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Geoffrey Pardoe award. He currently works part-time at ESA, serves on the UK Space Agency Board and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton.

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

In this Better Satellite World podcast, based on a panel session at the live New York Space Business Roundtable on September 18, we hear a discussion on the role of space and satellite in economic development, both in New York and beyond. Experts share their tips and what challenges they have faced or expect to face in the future.

Our guests include:

• Lou Zacharilla, Director of Innovation, SSPI (moderator)
• Nick Reese, CEO & Founder, Frontier Foundry, former DHS
• Luc Decker, Consul General, Luxembourg Trade & Investment Office NY
• Norman R. Garza, Jr., Executive Director, Texas Space Commission

This podcast is one of many conversations we’ll be having over the next several months about the many ways that the space business has gone mainstream as part of The Space Business is Everywhere campaign! Once the exclusive province of prime government contractors and a handful of commercial satellite operators, the business of space has vastly expanded, accelerated and diversified, as the plunging cost of access to space has attracted unprecedented private investment.

You can watch the original panel from the live September 2024 New York Space Business Roundtable here:

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

In the podcast series of Reducing the Risks of Space, Part 2: New Ideas in Space Safety, we explore policy, law, technology and operations in development now to manage the challenging space environment of the future. Episode 4 features a conversation with Dr. Grant Cates, Senior Project Leader for the Space Architecture Department at The Aerospace Corporation.

Dr. Grant R. Cates is a senior project leader for the Space Architecture Department at The Aerospace Corporation. In this role, Cates leads discrete event simulation analysis capabilities for NASA’s Human Exploration missions, Space Force launch ranges, and other customers. He provides launch probability assessments, forecasts of future launches, optimization of complex multi-launch space missions, and advocates for in-space rescue capabilities.

Cates joined Aerospace in 2014 and developed a model to determine launch range throughput and for forecasting future launches, both domestic and international. He led development of a model that estimated launch probability for the Atlas, Delta, and Falcon launch vehicles.

Cates was a chief scientist at SAIC where he built simulations to analyze human space flight architectures and to estimate the launch probability for NASA's Space Launch System. He held various positions at NASA in the Space Shuttle Program, including payload integration manager, landing convoy commander, flow manager, and flow director for the Columbia space shuttle orbiter. He was a member of the technical committee for the joint NASA/Air Force Source Evaluation Board for the initial Shuttle Processing Contract, served as a board member for the Space Program Operations Contract, was a member of the mishap investigation board that investigated a fire on the space shuttle Endeavour, and led the Jasper, Texas recovery site after the loss of Columbia. Cates was also an Air Force AWACS weapons director. He participated in Red Flag air warfare exercises, controlled F-15s intercepting Soviet bombers, and flew combat support missions during Operation Earnest Will.

Cates is the author, lead author, and coauthor of numerous papers. His peer reviewed journal articles include the “Project Assessment by Simulation Technique” and “The In-Space Rescue Capability Gap.”

The Reducing the Risks of Space, Part 2: New Ideas in Space Safety campaign is underwritten by

The American Space Exploration Children’s Trust Fund

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

In this Better Satellite World podcast, based on a panel session at the live New York Space Business Roundtable on September 18, we hear a discussion on how New York State has moved forward on its journey to become a commercial space industry center, the pace of its development and what it needs to really get this going faster.

Our guests include:

• Joe Fargnoli, Founder, New York Space Alliance (moderator)
• Michael Clouser, Director, The Startup Race / Researcher, International Triple Helix Institute
• John Neal, Executive Director, Space Policy, Cyber, Space and National Security Division, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Barry Safier, Engineering Manager, Moog Space and Defense Group
• N. Darius Sankey, Managing Director, Innovation Acceleration Capital

This podcast is one of many conversations we’ll be having over the next several months about the many ways that the space business has gone mainstream as part of The Space Business is Everywhere campaign! Once the exclusive province of prime government contractors and a handful of commercial satellite operators, the business of space has vastly expanded, accelerated and diversified, as the plunging cost of access to space has attracted unprecedented private investment.

You can watch the original panel from the live September 2024 New York Space Business Roundtable here:

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

Bits, Bytes and AI, Oh My!, the podcast of the Digital Space campaign, underwritten by Hughes, delves into the rapidly evolving world of digital technology and its transformative impact on the space of satellite industries. In this series, we explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning and space based digital infrastructure with industry leaders and technologists. In episode 5, we hear from Carla Filotico, Partner and Managing Director at Novaspace.

Carla Filotico has 20 years of experience in management and strategy consulting. In her current role, she leads Novaspace strategy practice. She has extensive knowledge of the space sector, its ecosystem and applications/domains and more generally of the issues related to the space industry along the entire value chain from R&D, to manufacturing, launch, operations and to downstream applications. Ms. Filotico has been supporting space public institutions on space and industrial policy, market development and entrepreneurship fostering, as well as key global and European industry players to grow their business and shape their investment strategies. She is an active member of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Jury. Prior to joining Novaspace (formerly SpaceTec Partners and Euroconsult), she led Booz&co’s (now Strategy& PWC) Aerospace and Defence practice in Italy and the Space Strategy team in Europe. Ms. Filotico is an Aerospace engineer, with MSc in space system engineering.

This podcast series is underwritten by

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

In the podcast series of Reducing the Risks of Space, Part 2: New Ideas in Space Safety, we explore policy, law, technology and operations in development now to manage the challenging space environment of the future. Episode 3 features a conversation with renowned industry journalist Peter B. de Selding, Co-Founder and Chief Editor of SpaceIntelReport and Member of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame.

Peter B. de Selding is Co-Founder and Editor of SpaceIntelReport.com. He started SpaceIntelReport in 2017 after 26 years as the Paris Bureau Chief for SpaceNews where he covered the commercial satellite, launch and the international space businesses. A must read for space executives, Peter has broken numerous stories that changed the course of the industry. Among them was his investigation of the February 1995 launch accident at Xichang in China that destroyed the Intelsat 708 satellite. Peter also led coverage of the privatization of Intelsat and Eutelsat – and of the flurry of merger and acquisition activity that followed them – which further transformed the industry. His reporting could also change the fortunes of companies large and small. Read more about Peter.

The Reducing the Risks of Space, Part 2: New Ideas in Space Safety campaign is underwritten by

The Space Shuttle Children’s Trust Fund

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

Bits, Bytes and AI, Oh My!, the podcast of the Digital Space campaign, underwritten by Hughes, delves into the rapidly evolving world of digital technology and its transformative impact on the space of satellite industries. In this series, we explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning and space based digital infrastructure with industry leaders and technologists. In episode 4, we hear from Kidsan Barnes, Senior Vice President of Cruise & Ferry at Neuron.

Kidsan Barnes is a distinguished leader in the satellite communications and cruise connectivity industries. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Cruise & Ferry at Neuron. With a career marked by innovation and strategic vision, Kidsan has played a pivotal role in driving growth and transformation within her sector.

Kidsan’s leadership philosophy centers on strategic intent, mental clarity and the joy of leading. Her contributions have not gone unnoticed; she was honored on the South Florida Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list, recognizing her significant impact on her industry, the economy and community, and also recognized on their Influential Business Women’s list for 2022.

Under her leadership, Neuron’s Cruise & Ferry division has seen remarkable advancements, solidifying its position as a leader in the fast-evolving world of satellite communications. Kidsan’s dedication to excellence and philanthropic contributions are seen in her voluntary board roles for both SSPI and Florida International University where she gained her Executive MBA. She remains an inspiration for those in the industries she serves.

This podcast series is underwritten by

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

Bits, Bytes and AI, Oh My!, the podcast of the Digital Space campaign, underwritten by Hughes, delves into the rapidly evolving world of digital technology and its transformative impact on the space of satellite industries. In this series, we explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning and space based digital infrastructure with industry leaders and technologists. In episode 3, we hear from Brad Grady, Business Development Manager at Hughes Network Systems, LLC.

Brad Grady serves as a Business Development Manager at Hughes, where he enhances airlines’ in-flight connectivity experiences through the comprehensive Hughes In-Flight Connectivity Solutions. Leveraging over a decade of market analysis and insights, Brad collaborates with other industry-leading experts at Hughes to deliver transformative IFC experiences.

With more than 15 years in the satellite connectivity industry, Brad’s career is marked by prominent leadership positions. Prior to joining Hughes, he served as the Chief Operating Officer at Northern Sky Research (NSR) until its acquisition by Analysys Mason in 2022, where he continued as a Research Director. At NSR, an Analysys Mason company, Brad led the mobility and government/military research sectors, providing valuable insights to end-users, satellite operators, service providers, and the financial community.

Throughout his consultancy career, Brad has authored numerous reports on topics ranging from the global space economy’s market opportunities to the impacts of emerging LEO technologies on the mobility sector. He is a recognized speaker at industry conferences, has been interviewed by leading space sector publications, and has contributed to numerous custom consulting engagements.

Brad earned a Bachelors of Arts in Economics from the University of Maryland.

This podcast series is underwritten by

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

Bits, Bytes and AI, Oh My!, the podcast of the Digital Space campaign, underwritten by Hughes, delves into the rapidly evolving world of digital technology and its transformative impact on the space of satellite industries. In this series, we explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning and space based digital infrastructure with industry leaders and technologists. In episode 2, we hear from Dr. Jennifer Seiler, Senior Engineer at RKF Engineering Solutions, LLC.

Jennifer Seiler is a Ph.D. computational astrophysicist, software developer and open science devotee. She currently works for RKF Engineering as a simulation and model developer and engineer for long-range wireless communication systems (both ground and satellite systems). Prior to RKF Engineering, Jennifer worked for Giant Army as Staff Astrophysicist and Developer on Universe Sandbox, a physics simulator sandbox game currently available on Steam. 

She previously worked for the Department of Statistics at Columbia University studying open coding, open data, big data management and statistical issues of reproducibility in the sciences. A major focus was a project called ResearchCompendia.science. ResearchCompendia.science is a web service that allows researchers to run codes associated with scientific publications. The service allows authors of publications to create companion websites on which others may reproduce the paper's results or run their own parameters. 

Jennifer has ten years of experience designing, developing and testing massively parallel numerical simulations that evolve highly non-linear partial differential equations (the Einstein Equations) in three or more dimensions for dynamical systems (close binary black holes and neutron stars). Though her degrees are in physics and astrophysics, she has a very strong and unique computer science background in software development and testing, numerical simulations, analysis, database management and cluster management. From 2010 to late 2012, Jennifer occupied a NASA Postdoctoral Position (NPP) in the Astrophysical Sciences Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center doing numerical relativity and gravitational astrophysics related to the (2012 de-funded and soon to be refunded) LISA mission (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) and relevant to LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory). She received her Ph.D. from the Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany for research at the Max-Planck Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert Einstein Institute).

This podcast series is underwritten by

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

Bits, Bytes and AI, Oh My!, the podcast of the Digital Space campaign, underwritten by Hughes, delves into the rapidly evolving world of digital technology and its transformative impact on the space of satellite industries. In this series, we explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning and space based digital infrastructure with industry leaders and technologists. In episode 1, we hear from Chris Stott, Founder, Chair and CEO of Lonestar Data Holdings, Inc.

Chris Stott is the Founder, Chair and CEO of Lonestar Data Holdings Inc., the Lunar information, technology, and communications company and the first to send and operate data centers from the Moon for global disaster recovery. A lifetime entrepreneur, Chris is also the Founder and Non-Executive Chair of River Advisors and ManSat, the world’s largest commercial provider of satellite spectrum.

Chris serves as the Chair Emeritus, alongside the late Sir Arthur C. Clarke, of the Space and Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), the largest professional association in the global space and satellite industry, which also named him Satellite Industry Mentor of the Year in 2015.

Chris’s passion for the economics and commerce of space has led him to co-found both the Institute of Space Commerce in Austin in the United States, and the International Institute of Space Commerce on the Isle of Man in the British Isles. He has served on faculty at the International Space University (ISU) since 2003 and is a former co-chair of the university’s school of business and management. Chris is also a guest lecturer in space law and regulation at MIT Media Labs, the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the School of Law at the University of Houston.

In his spare time, Chris is a multi-award-winning producer, writer and documentary filmmaker. A naturalized Manx American, Chris lives in Florida with this wife and son and their dogs. He enjoys shooting (pistol, rifle, skeet and trap), SCUBA and Free Diving and flying helicopters. He drinks way too much coffee and rarely watches TV. When he needs to sleep, he reads his own bio.

This podcast series is underwritten by

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

In this Better Satellite World podcast, based on the July 2024 edition of the New York Space Business Roundtable, we hear from Greg Eghigian, Author & Professor at Penn State and Nick Reese, Co-Founder & COO of Frontier Foundry. Greg’s book, After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon was released in July by Oxford University Press. In the fall, he will be Visiting Research Fellow at Princeton and his next book project will examine the history of the controversy surrounding claims of alien abduction. Greg and Nick discuss unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and the numerous questions around them such as why we are spending so much to learn about UAPs and what would happen if we discovered we are not alone.

The question “are we alone?” has never been fully answered. With each image and data set arriving back from Hubble and James Webb the frivolous, Sci-Fi cultural expression of alien life is less frivolous. There is an anxiety about our place in the Universe and it impacts our human community in many ways.

The government and military are now addressing the question of UAPs with heightened seriousness and attention. As the understanding of UAPs’ existence and nature becomes more mainstream, numerous questions emerge, particularly concerning commercial space and beyond.

You can watch the original July 2024 edition of the New York Space Business Roundtable here:

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

In this podcast series, we speak with friends of SSPI who recently made big executive moves. We’ll find out what they’re doing now and what they hope to achieve in their new roles in the industry. In episode 3, SSPI Director of Engagement Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with Laura Cummings, Associate at Greenberg Traurig, LLP and 2023 “20 Under 35” honoree.

Laura Cummings focuses her practice on space law and commercial space regulation, providing legal support to businesses dealing with complex matters pertaining to space, satellite, and telecommunication industries. Her work scope is global, involving policy-making, legislative interpretation, and application of regulatory frameworks. She is involved in virtually all areas of space regulatory affairs including spectrum advocacy, remote sensing, export compliance, payload authorization, and providing guidance on in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing mission authorization.

Laura has deep experience influencing international telecommunications regulations and policy. Laura has served as a member of the U.S. Delegation to International Telecommunication Union conferences, including the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference, contributing to ongoing work around space sustainability. Similarly, she advocates for evolved U.S. domestic space regulations that are cohesive with international law and foreign domestic laws, working across a variety of jurisdictions and legal systems.

She plays a role in driving a regulatory agenda for the small satellite industry and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing capabilities. In her previous role at Astroscale U.S., Laura managed spacecraft licensing for the geostationary Life-Extension Services program, drove spectrum advocacy, and supported export compliance. Laura also has experience with the Federal Aviation Administration, supporting the creation of new regulations regarding launch and reentry licensing requirements.

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners

In this podcast series, we speak with friends of SSPI who recently made big executive moves. We’ll find out what they’re doing now and what they hope to achieve in their new roles in the industry. In episode 2, SSPI Director of Engagement Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with Slava Frayter, Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales at Kayhan Space.

Mr. Slava Frayter is the Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales at Kayhan Space, a SaaS company specializing in space situational awareness (SSA) and providing space traffic coordination and collision avoidance services for satellite operators and government organizations.

Before joining Kayhan Space in May 2024, Slava served as the Vice President for North America at Gilat Satellite Networks. In this role, he oversaw all company operations in North America, managed the regional team, and developed and executed growth strategies across various markets, including cellular backhaul, enterprise, mobility, and government sectors.

Prior to his tenure at Gilat, Mr. Frayter spent nearly two decades with Newtec, a Belgian satellite communication technology company, where he held several executive positions for the Americas region, including the CEO of Newtec America role. During his time there, Slava successfully built cross-functional organizations, grew revenue, significantly expanded the company’s market presence, and forged long-term strategic relationships with partners and clients.

Mr. Frayter holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Riga Technical University in Latvia and an MBA in International Business and Finance from the University of Connecticut.

SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners