On Orbit

Latest Episodes:

Inside SatEnlight's Spiral Staircase of Lasers: Interview with Startup Space Winner Matteo Vismara Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

Based in Milan, Italy, SatEnlight is an optical communications technology company with a terminal that stacks multiple beams on top of each other, arranged in what looks like a multi-layered spiral staircase of lasers.

SatEnlight CEO and co-founder Matteo Vismara and his co-founder developed the product based on years of scientific research in Physics and work based at the CERN Large Hadron Collider in Geneva.

Matteo joins On-Orbit this week in a conversation with Via Satellite Executive Editor Jeffrey Hill after he won SATShow's 10th Annual Startup Space entrepreneur pitch contest. In this interview, he explains why he chose the risk of starting a private company over the safety of almost guaranteed university tenure and the details of a slide deck tip he received during pitch coaching that helped him win Startup Space.

Matteo also talks about how Italy is building off of its deep legacy in cutting-edge space science and why he believes the SatEnlight terminal could actually help create new standards for optical transmissions in space.

Automation and Agility: How SSC Space Go Is Designed for the New Age of Ground Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

SSC Space has a mission to help its customers access space — whether that's spacecraft operations and engineering, operating the Esrange launch center in Sweden, or its global ground network. With 54 years of operations, SSC Space has deep experience in space missions.

Now, the company is expanding its ground systems business with SSC Space Go, designed for commercial companies with small satellites in LEO. This week, On Orbit hosts Jonas Åslund, product manager, and Viktor Pankov, product owner, of SSC Space Go to hear about how the service was designed to meet the needs of the evolving commercial space market.

Both Åslund and Pankov are ground segment experts, and they share the hardware and software upgrades that went into the service, and how it's designed to enable greater automation and flexibility.

This episode of On Orbit is brought to you by SSC Space, a leading global provider of advanced space services in science, ground segment, rocket test and launch services.

Investing in American Manufacturing: Shey Sabripour Talks CesiumAstro's Ramp-Up Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

As a young electrical engineer at RCA Corporation, Shey Sabripour was inspired by the company's legacy of contributing to space missions, and he wanted to make his own mark by establishing a company that builds technology in the United States.

He went on to found CesiumAstro 10 years ago, which is now at a pivotal moment in its growth journey. He joins On Orbit this week after the company recently raised $270 million and secured $200 million EXIM financing to build out its manufacturing capabilities in Texas under the "Make More in America" initiative.

In this interview, he shares his deep passion for building in America, and how he sees a crucial link between strong commercial competition, resilient supply chains, and defense readiness. Sabripour also talks about how CesiumAstro has methodically grown from providing software defined radios to now, full-scale missions and previews the launch of the company's first Element satellite, targeted for later this year.

Designing for the Next Generation of GEO With Swissto12 CEO Emile de Rijk Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

Emile de Rijk started Swissto12 with a simple goal — to make access to Geostationary Orbit (GEO) faster and more affordable. In order to achieve that, the company had to think smaller. From its origins as a startup, Swissto12 is now coming of age as a disruptive European satellite manufacturer.

This week, Swissto12 CEO Emile de Rijk joins On Orbit to talk about the company's cutting edge payload technology and the decision trade-offs that come with payload flexibility. De Rijk also talk about how Swissto12's approach to smaller, more flexible GEO satellites fits in with the issue of sovereign space, and how it might also fit into the future concepts of orbital data centers.

The company is at a critical juncture this year with satellite builds for both SES and Viasat underway. De Rijk shares the latest updates on the Hummingsat program.

This episode of On Orbit is brought to you by Swissto12, a manufacturer of advanced satellite radio frequency components, payloads, and systems.

Semiconductors, Satellites, and Scale With Spirit Electronics CEO Marti McCurdy Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

Semiconductors are foundational to satellite operations, powering everything from communications payloads, to sensing, and propulsion control. As CEO of Spirit Electronics, Marti McCurdy's work is at the heart of the semiconductor supply chain.

Spirit Electronics offers semiconductor services that range from ASIC design and foundry, to wafer processing, and qualification. The company has always served a mix of defense and space, but is seeing growth in its space business in recent years with the uptick of growth in the industry. Marti says the work isn't new; it's just applying the company's expertise in semiconductors to a new customer base.

In this episode, Marti shares the ins and outs of semiconductor supply chains and the work that goes into being a trusted manufacturing partner. She also shares what's in store for Spirit Electronics in 2026 and how AI is impacting the company's work in test development.

This episode of On Orbit is brought to you by Spirit Electronics is a supplier of high reliability electronic components, engineering services, and superior supply-chain solutions.

From Skepticism to Maturity: Unpacking Space Investment in 2025 With Chad Anderson Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Investment in space infrastructure hit a new record in 2025, reaching $22.2 billion, according to Space Capital's latest report. This level of investment surpassed the previous record of 2021.

Chad Anderson, CEO and founder of Space Capital, joins On Orbit this week to share his takeaways from 2025 from Space Capital's recent Space Investment Quarterly report, alongside predictions for 2026.

Anderson says the record levels of investment in 2025 show the market has transitioned from skepticism to industrial maturity and proven utility. He also shares some of the trends driving momentum for 2026, like the uptick of investment in geospatial intelligence capabilities aligning with AI investment, and how a SpaceX IPO in 2026 could impact the rest of the space investment landscape.

The Infrastructure Revolution Behind Data Centers in Space With Ramon.Space CEO Avi Shabtai Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

Data centers in space have been a hot topic in the last few months as a potential future solution to the limitations of running massive data centers on Earth. Ramon.Space, which builds edge computing and onboard processing systems has been preparing for this future for years.

In this episode, Ramon.Space CEO Avi Shabtai shares the concept of a distributed architecture data center in space, with many satellites acting as nodes in a mesh network. Avi envisions a fleet of satellites forming a large data center, with each satellite capable of computation, storage, and other capabilities. He explains the tech behind the headlines, and shares his predictions for how data centers in space might take shape over the next five to ten years.

This episode of On Orbit is sponsored by Ramon.Space

The Commercial-Defense Convergence: 2026 Trends to Watch Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

There's a growing understanding that space-based capabilities are critical for national defense strategies, and defense demand for commercial space systems has been a key trend in 2025 influencing both satellite communications, manufacturing, and imagery and sensing.

2025 brought the announcement of the Golden Dome planned missile defense architecture, and a steep ramp-up in space investment in nations around the globe. Nations are working to secure sovereign communications and access to space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data.

This episode of On Orbit shares a webinar Via Satellite editors hosted in December on space and defense trends for 2026. Experts from Lanteris Space Systems and BlackSky shared some of the key takeaways from this trend in 2025, how commercial companies are evolving their offerings to answer the call, and what's ahead in defense adoption of commercial satellite technologies in 2026.

This episode features Krupal Patel, senior director of National Security Space Business Development for Lanteris Space Systems and Scot Currie, vice president of Geospatial Solutions for BlackSky.

The webinar was sponsored by Lanteris and BlackSky.

Quantum is Coming: How Does it Change the Game for Space Systems and Networks? Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

Forecasts on the arrival time for quantum computing vary greatly – from "it will be here in a decade" to "it's already here." There is consensus on the fact that it's coming, and when it does, it will change the way we build and protect networks in space.

In this episode of our Future Space Economy webcast series, we're joined by experts in the field to help understand how quantum computing and quantum encryption will most likely work according to the research that is being conducted today. This episode covers the concept and definition of quantum resiliency and how that will be determined in an unknown future. Experts also discuss what quantum computing could accomplish in space if these powerful systems are able to survive the harsh environment.

This is hosted by Jeffrey Hill, executive editor of Via Satellite and features Capella Space CEO Frank Backes and Joe Touch, principal scientist in the Information Systems and Cyber Division of The Aerospace Corporation.

This is the last episode of On Orbit for 2025. See you next year!

Space Traffic Management for Security With Neuraspace CEO Chiara Manfletti Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

Is space crowded? Although there's been such a large increase in satellites in orbit, it's not a simple question. On Orbit revisits the question with Chiara Manfletti, CEO of Portugal-based space traffic management company Neuraspace. Chiara emphasizes the need for better coordination on space situational awareness (SSA) and space traffic management (STM) and the evolving landscape of standards and regulations.

This episode also covers how nations have taken a greater interest in working with commercial operators for SSA capabilities, and why strong SSA is critical for ensuring peace as space becomes more contested.

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