Sirotin Intelligence Briefing: October 5-11, 2025: Missed Asteroid, $500B Golden Dome, China's 1,189th Satellite – Defense Budgets Reshape Space as Stoke Raises $510M

This week's Sirotin Intelligence analysis reveals cascade of strategic failures and pyrrhic victories: asteroid 2025 TF screamed past Antarctica at 266 miles—closer than ISS—detected only after it passed, exposing our planetary defense as retrospective theater while Golden Dome resurrects Reagan's Star Wars at projected costs exceeding $500 billion despite fundamental physics favoring attackers. Verizon commits $100 million to AST SpaceMobile for direct-to-cellular service by 2026, creating redundant infrastructure competing with SpaceX-T-Mobile while China deploys its 1,189th satellite, launching 112 payloads in seven months as Space Force warns Beijing brings new capabilities online monthly. Defense budgets reshape industry: Stoke Space's $510 million Series D led by national security funds confirms Pentagon contracts now drive launch markets, Space Force awards Muon $44.6 million for dual-use weather satellites that definitely won't track hypersonic signatures, and transatlantic defense spending surge guarantees parallel development of identical capabilities at premium prices. Congress battles appropriations amid shutdown as 300 advocates rally to save NASA science from historic cuts, Russia unveils ROSS station targeting 2027 launch while sending 75 mice to ISS, Europe invests €100 million in Italian factory producing 100 satellites annually, and Iran joins the indigenous launch club. Meanwhile FCC launches "Space Month" to streamline licensing that should have been reformed decades ago, former defense officials urge hypersonic acceleration to match adversaries already fielding systems, and Space Force creates $1.2 billion working capital fund to bypass congressional dysfunction. Our guest Mike Grace shoots satellites at $10/kg versus SpaceX's $3,000—proving kinetic launch could make rockets as obsolete as Golden Dome makes treaties.

🛡️ Defense Highlights

• Former Defense Officials Urge Pentagon to Match Hypersonic Growth: Prominent former U.S. defense officials are pressing the Pentagon to urgently scale up hypersonic weapons development, warning that the U.S. risks falling behind China and Russia in both deployment numbers and operational capability. Their recommendations highlight accelerated R&D, procurement, and testing to maintain parity in next-generation missile threats.​
• Space Force Creates Working Capital Fund for Commercial Services: The U.S. Space Force rolled out a first-of-its-kind working capital fund, aiming to support up to $1.2B annually in commercial satellite services purchases without relying solely on annual congressional appropriations. The initiative is positioned to make Space Force procurement more flexible and integrate commercial capabilities faster while sustaining funding for key contracts.​
• Golden Dome Revives Push for Space-Based Interceptors: The U.S. military's "Golden Dome" initiative has brought space-based interceptors back to the center of strategic debates, promising to supplement terrestrial missile defense with orbital sensors and kill vehicles positioned to strike threats in flight. Experts note that while the system is unlikely to achieve flawless protection, deploying a space-based layer could dramatically compress response times and deter adversaries with hypersonic or advanced missile capabilities. However, projected costs stretching into trillions and unresolved technical hurdles have raised both optimism and skepticism among Pentagon officials, lawmakers, and global security analysts.
• Space Force Drives Acquisition Reform for Speed and Commercial Integration: The Space Force is aggressively pursuing acquisition reforms, embracing fixed-price contracts, rapid prototyping, and commercial products to outpace adversaries and fulfill the Secretary of Defense's modernization goals. With dozens of programs now using "quick start" authorities and market research into off-the-shelf solutions, the service is moving to align military procurement with commercial best practices—aiming to reduce costs and field cutting-edge space capabilities faster.
• How China is Preparing to Dominate the Space Domain: Analysts warn that U.S.-China competition is intensifying across the space sector, with some characterizing current maneuvers and investments as a new form of warfare. The U.S. Space Force is now openly preparing for potential orbital conflicts, as China pushes rapid advances in military and commercial space technology to tilt the global balance in Beijing's favor.
• Space Force Warns of China's Expanding Satellite Web: Space Force leaders are sounding alarms about China's explosive growth in satellite deployments, with more than 1,189 Chinese satellites now in orbit—spanning communications, navigation, and maneuverable "inspector" craft with dual-use potential. Recent launches into medium Earth orbit and the rollout of Smart Skynet portray a deliberate move for layered resiliency, while mysterious satellite maneuvers in geosynchronous orbit point to new operational ambitions. Officials warn that China is now fielding new capabilities monthly, forcing the U.S. to rethink space architecture and readiness.
• Transatlantic Defense Budgets Redraw the Commercial Space Map: Emerging 2026 defense budgets in both the U.S. and Europe are fundamentally reordering the global space industrial base. With military demand for satellite constellations and secure communications booming, contractors are realigning portfolios, spawning new alliances, and deepening commercial-military tech integration. This cross-Atlantic budget surge is simultaneously driving innovation, market consolidation, and shifting the competitive balance for military, civil, and dual-use space projects.
• Space Force Taps Muon for Next-Gen Weather Satellites: The U.S. Space Force awarded Muon Space a $44.6 million contract to develop three prototype weather satellites equipped with advanced multispectral and infrared sensors, extending earlier wildfire monitoring partnerships into defense uses. The new orbital sensors will provide real-time data for aviation, maritime, and launch operations, filling urgent gaps as legacy Defense Meteorological Satellite Program assets retire. Muon's FireSat constellation—bolstered by dual-use and philanthropic alliances—underscores how startups are rapidly scaling civil, commercial, and military environmental surveillance from space.
• Stoke Space's $510M Round Shows Launch Future Is Defense-Driven: Stoke Space's blockbuster $510 million Series D round, led by a national security-focused fund, signals a decisive shift in the U.S. launch sector: defense and government contracts are now overtaking commercial satellite markets as growth engines for new-entrant rocket companies. Analysts say the announcement cements defense partnerships—and Pentagon demand—as the gravitational center of the "New Space" era.

🌐 Policy, Geopolitical & Legal Developments

• FCC Launches ‘Space Month’ to Reform Satellite Licensing and Spectrum: The FCC initiated “Space Month” aimed at updating the U.S. satellite licensing process and reforming spectrum policies. Planned actions include streamlining application timelines, simplifying regulatory frameworks, and opening additional spectrum for broadband. The reforms are designed to support the surging commercial space market and impatient operators seeking faster approvals.​
• Senators Spar Over Shuttle Discovery’s Future: Bipartisan debate continues in Congress regarding proposals to relocate the Space Shuttle Discovery, with preservation concerns, state interests, and broader cultural Heritage priorities at stake. The dispute reflects the ongoing political and public significance of major U.S. space artifacts and facilities.​
• Russia Details Timeline and Partners for New National Space Station: Russia has unveiled concrete plans for its Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS), targeting a first module launch by 2027 and full operational status by the early 2030s. Featuring a polar orbit for global surveillance and satellite fleet command, the project aims to replace the International Space Station partnership and align with BRICS countries and emerging space powers. Officials tout use of AI in design processes and promise "unusual" operational goals for strategic advantages in the post-ISS era.
• Russia's Space Zoo: 75 Mice, Over 1,500 Flies Return from Orbit: Russia's Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite returned with an unprecedented biological haul—75 mice, more than 1,500 flies, and dozens of plant and microbial samples to study long-term space habitation and radiation's effects. Researchers will use these results to refine human life support and health protections for eventual deep space missions, while also investigating astrobiological theories about the spread of life between planets.
• Space Policy Weekly: Shutdown Fallout, Appropriations, and Executive Action: October's space policy calendar is shaped by continued appropriations negotiations in Congress amid a partial government shutdown, while Executive Orders push toward regulatory reform and commercial launch expansion. Community attention remains focused on budget outcomes for NASA, new commercial space licensing rules, and the fate of key programs in an uncertain funding environment. Lawmakers are under pressure to finalize appropriations and stave off threats to major space projects.
• Hundreds Rally to Save NASA Science as Congress Weighs Cuts: Nearly 300 advocates converged on Washington, D.C. for the Save NASA Science Day of Action, mobilizing a diverse coalition to protest historic proposed budget cuts and thank lawmakers for bipartisan support to protect vital agency programs. Despite a government shutdown, participants engaged almost 250 congressional offices, while Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye led a Capitol Hill press conference to underscore that shutting down valuable NASA missions is wasteful, not cost-saving. With both House and Senate bills now blocking the most severe reductions, advocates called on Congress to merge the best from both chambers and pass final legislation preserving U.S. leadership in space science.
• Scientists Rally in Washington to Defend NASA Science: In a bipartisan effort led by 20 scientific organizations and a key Maryland congressman, researchers and advocates assembled in the Capitol to advocate for NASA's science budget and broader U.S. investment in discovery. The demonstration—held in spite of a government shutdown—spotlighted fears that major cuts could imperil flagship missions and nation-leading discovery, reinforcing that robust science funding underpins U.S. competitiveness and global standing in space.
• Iran Among Few Nations Mastering Full Space Launch Capability: Iran's Space Agency announced operational status for indigenous satellite launchers and imaging satellites, joining a club of 10-11 nations with full vertical integration in design, development, and launch. Officials highlighted the achievement as proof of Iranian self-sufficiency, underpinned by sustained government and university collaborations and steady advances in imaging technology.
• El Paso Positions as Aerospace Hub with Space Tech 2025 Conference: El Paso and the Texas Space Coalition are leveraging the city's open airspace, workforce, and academic partners to position the Borderland as a new center for space industry growth. The upcoming Space Tech El Paso 2025 conference aims to forge connections between local talent, national enterprises, and out-of-state innovators to propel the region into the next wave of space technology and workforce development.
• India's Karnataka Launches State-Level Space Tech Center of Excellence: Karnataka has launched India's first state-backed Centre of Excellence in Space Technology, targeting MOD hardware, satellite manufacturing, AI-driven analytics, and startup incubation as pillars of a vibrant NewSpace ecosystem. Public-private collaboration agreements with IN-SPACe and industry leaders are expected to position Karnataka as the nation's premier cluster for space entrepreneurship, innovation, and global competitiveness by 2033.

🛰️ Technology & Commercial Developments

• ispace-EUROPE and Magna Petra Pact for Pioneering Lunar Helium-3 Mission: ispace-EUROPE signed a $22M Payload Services Agreement with Magna Petra Corp. to deliver NASA’s MSOLO mass spectrometer on its Mission 3 rover—engineered and operated from Luxembourg—targeting the Moon’s helium-3 and volatile resources. The partnership will capture the first in-situ data on lunar helium-3, advancing Magna Petra’s AI-driven “digital twin” models for future extraction, and aims to establish a sustainable lunar supply chain with applications in fusion energy and quantum technologies. This European-led mission highlights cross-continental collaboration and positions both firms at the forefront of commercial lunar resource utilization.
• AST SpaceMobile Gains Verizon Ally Amid SpaceX's Direct-to-Device Push: AST SpaceMobile has sealed a landmark agreement with Verizon to deliver direct-to-cellular satellite broadband service, setting the stage for connectivity everywhere in the U.S., including remote and underserved regions. Beginning in 2026, Verizon customers will be able to use standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without extra equipment, sharply escalating competition with SpaceX's Starlink and other direct-to-device ventures. This partnership comes after AST's successful tests with unmodified phones and aims to integrate space-based technology with Verizon's expansive terrestrial network, forging a new paradigm in U.S. mobile coverage and global digital reach.
• Verizon and AST SpaceMobile Cement Satellite-Cellular Alliance: Verizon's landmark deal with AST SpaceMobile will integrate satellite connectivity directly with Verizon's 850 MHz terrestrial network, delivering cell coverage in remote areas where traditional service is impossible. Following a $100 million Verizon investment and the success of AST's initial BlueBird satellite block, the partnership positions AST for direct competition with SpaceX's Starlink and T-Mobile in the emerging cell-from-space market. The agreement, built on successful space-based demonstrations, aims to launch broader commercial service in 2026, spurring a new phase of U.S. mobile infrastructure expansion.
• Near-Earth Asteroid Zooms Past Antarctica, Stuns Astronomers: On October 1, 2025, a small asteroid designated 2025 TF shot past Earth at just 266 miles above Antarctica—closer than some satellites and nearly matching the altitude of the International Space Station. The 3-6 foot-wide space rock was only detected hours after its flyby, when the Catalina Sky Survey flagged it, prompting rapid follow-up observations from the European Space Agency's Planetary Defense Office. While too small to threaten Earth, 2025 TF's stealthy pass is a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of near-Earth objects and the ongoing vigilance required to track even minor celestial intruders.
• Lockheed Martin Racing to Accelerate in a Faster Space Race: Lockheed Martin is reinventing itself to excel in an accelerated space environment, leveraging all-digital engineering ecosystems to slash development times and costs. Programs like CMMT have gone from concept to first flight in under a year, reflecting a company-wide shift toward rapid prototyping and production of advanced systems. By integrating digital design libraries and proven architectures, Lockheed is not just building better missiles and aircraft faster but is also reducing risk and laying groundwork for future unmanned and collaborative aerospace missions.
• ESA's ExoMars and Mars Express Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: The European Space Agency's Mars orbiters captured rare images of interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS as it streaked past Mars on October 3, 2025, coming within 19 million miles of the Red Planet. Both ExoMars and Mars Express snapped photos of the faint, icy interloper, marking it as just the third confirmed interstellar object in solar system history. The challenge of imaging 3I/ATLAS, which is up to 100,000 times dimmer than typical Martian targets, underscored the agility of Europe's robotic explorers and the scientific value of their rapid responses to celestial surprises.
• China's CAS Space Gears Up for New Rocket, Sea Launches, and Space Tourism: Chinese commercial space company CAS Space is preparing for the debut of its Kinetica 2 rocket—the firm's first orbital liquid propellant vehicle—alongside ambitious plans for sea launches and burgeoning international partnerships. With its inaugural launch expected soon, Kinetica 2 will enable heavier payloads and open doors to reusable rocket technology. Looking ahead, CAS Space is planning its first suborbital tourist flights and new crew capsule testing, aiming to kickstart commercial space tourism from 2028 onward, while extending China's competitive edge in both commercial and state-backed space endeavors.
• Blue Origin Launches 15th Human Mission, Expanding Civilian Access to Space: Blue Origin's New Shepard lifted off on its 15th crewed spaceflight, carrying six passengers—including one anonymous astronaut—on a journey to the edge of space from its Texas launch site. This latest flight cements Blue Origin's status as a frontrunner in the commercial suborbital sector, having now flown 75 people past the Kármán line. As the company readies for further missions, including plans to expand operations with new facilities, the momentum for routine civilian space travel continues to build.
• ESA's Hera Mission Marks Year One of Deep-Space Operations: The European Space Agency's Hera probe has completed its first year in space after launching toward the Didymos and Dimorphos asteroids. In 2025, Hera pulled off a Mars flyby—imaging Deimos at close range and testing advanced autonomous navigation—before continuing its trajectory through the asteroid belt by capturing distant images to hone its instruments. On track to reach its binary asteroid targets in November 2026, Hera is positioned to provide the first in-depth survey of the DART impact site, deploying CubeSats and conducting high-resolution science to anchor planetary defense efforts for years to come.
• Europe's €100M Satellite Factory in Italy to Boost Manufacturing at Scale: A new €100 million "Space Smart" facility outside Rome, led by Thales Alenia Space and funded by Italy's space agency and EU recovery funds, will produce up to 100 dual-use satellites per year for civil and defense markets. This industrial effort marks a strategic push by Europe to rival U.S. and Chinese manufacturers, consolidate supply chain leadership, and enable rapid constellation deployment for national and continental space programs.
• TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Investors Eye New Frontiers in Space: At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, investors like Celeste Ford (Stellar Ventures), Chris Morales (Point72), and Morgan Beller (NFX) joined founders to explore where capital is flowing in the commercial space sector. Discussions centered on shifting funding priorities, the need for space startups to demonstrate tangible return on investment, and how government contracts and dual-use technology are changing the financing landscape amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
• Indian Startup OrbitAID Wins Grant for Nation's First In-Orbit Refueling Interface: Chennai-based OrbitAID secured a key Indo-Australian MAITRI grant to deploy its Standard Interface for Docking and Refuelling Port (SIDRP), India's milestone in-orbit refueling solution. Their system, flying aboard a 2026 joint mission with Australia's Space Machines Company, aims to extend satellite life and support future orbital "fuel station" constellations, cementing India's place in global space sustainability and servicing markets.
• Momentus Wins Back-to-Back NASA Contracts for Tech Demos in Space: U.S. space mobility startup Momentus was awarded two major NASA contracts: a $2.5M deal to flight-test the Juno Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine technology in orbit, and a $5.1M mission using their Vigoride vehicle as a platform for "COSMIC"—a microgravity manufacturing technology demonstration for semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. These awards reinforce NASA's pivot to using commercial service vehicles for advanced R&D and orbital manufacturing.
• University of Texas Space Research Powers Breakthroughs in Microbes, Satellites, and Deep Space Science: UT Austin teams have led pioneering research from Earth's tiniest extremophile microbes aboard the ISS to advanced CubeSat missions that image solar storms and probe origins of our solar system. In collaboration with biotech partners, UT researchers are investigating space-grown bacteria and yeasts to one day produce food, fuel, and life-saving drugs in deep-space habitats.
• Colossal Hole in Sun to Trigger Widespread Auroras in October: Space weather forecasters are tracking a massive coronal hole in the Sun, now facing Earth, expected to trigger high-speed solar winds and spark geomagnetic storms and vivid auroras over North America and Europe on October 11-12. The recurrent "butterfly-shaped" hole, larger than 500,000 kilometers across, underscores both spectacular science and new risks for satellites, navigation, and electric grids.
• Planet Announces Next-Gen Satellites for Daily Earth Imaging: Planet revealed a new family of imaging satellites designed to provide higher-resolution, multi-band data for near-real-time Earth observation and advanced change detection. This constellation will offer daily global coverage with deep AI integration and improved revisit rates, aiming to broaden applications from agriculture and climate monitoring to disaster response and security.​
• China Launches 3 Satellites from Barge in Yellow Sea: China performed a successful sea launch of the Gravity-1 solid rocket, deploying three satellites—one wide-field and two experimental—into low Earth orbit. The mission underscores China’s expanding rapid launch cadence, with the advanced solid-booster rocket offering flexibility for sea or land launches and lifting payloads up to 6.5 tons for commercial and government customers.​
• Japanese Astronaut Shares Typhoon Views from ISS: JAXA’s Kimiya Yui and NASA’s Jonny Kim shared dramatic images of Typhoons Ragasa and Neoguri from aboard the International Space Station, offering unique orbital perspectives on storm structure and intensity. These observations—shared as the U.S. faces a government shutdown—underscore global cooperation in space and the ISS's ongoing value for real-time Earth monitoring.​
• Space Force Selects Blue Origin to Expand Satellite Processing: Blue Origin won a $78M Space Force contract to build a state-of-the-art satellite processing facility at Cape Canaveral by 2028. The new complex will increase launch readiness and capacity to handle up to 16 missions yearly, supporting both national security and commercial satellite operations as launch cadence accelerates.​
• SpaceX Launches 24 Amazon Kuiper Satellites: SpaceX continued buildout of Amazon’s Project Kuiper megaconstellation with the launch of 24 satellites from Cape Canaveral, marking the sixth dedicated Kuiper launch. The project will eventually total over 3,000 satellites, with these missions strengthening Amazon’s position in global broadband internet and increasing low-Earth orbit satellite traffic.​​

💭 A Word From Christophe Bosquillon

Sean Duffy, Acting Administrator of a “leaner, more agile” NASA wants "to be able to run into a Walmart in Middle America and ask a customer, ‘What’s NASA up to?’ and hear them tell me about Artemis. (...) It’s about getting us farther into the unknown than we’ve ever gone before, and equipping our agency with the tools to pursue Manifest Destiny into the stars.”  While Blue Originpartnered with Luxembourg to send polar orbiter Oasis-1 to the Moon for high-resolution resources mapping, lunar stakeholders increasingly generate contracts and funding beyond space agencies.  

Lockheed Martin with BioAstra aims to validate an Orion-as-a-service business model beyond Artemis. Honda and Astrobotic target scalable lunar power solutions, expanding power generation and storage capabilities. Solstar, having won a NASA SBIR contract for lunar Wi-Fi systems, will team up with Momentus to demonstrate the first commercial WiFi hotspot in LEO. Intuitive Machines received CMMI Maturity Level 3 rating for software development, one step closer to providing Moon comms-as-a-service. IM completed its $30M acquisition of KinetX, merging precise deep-space navigation with data services for autonomous operationsacross the solar system.  

Magna Petra Corp. will execute a $22 million Payload Service Agreement with Japan's ispace European branch, to deliver NASA’s MSOLO spectrometer. Aiming for the first scalable Helium-3 resource mapping of the lunar surface, “this collaboration with ispace and NASA marks a turning point in the realization of a commercial Helium-3 economy,” said Jeffrey Max, CEO of Magna Petra Corp. Meanwhile, ispace announced a $120M+ fundaising with "the purpose of securing development funds for missions and working capital for future business operations.

On top of its successful lunar lander Blue Ghost, Firefly Aerospace, with its $855M acquisition of defense contractor Scitec, adds advanced threat tracking, ISR, space domain awareness, and autonomous command and control, to expand responsive mission services for space and defense customers. This commercial switch toward industry, and defence and energy government entities, lessens funding dependency over space agencies budgetary politics. This enables companies to de-risk lunar operations and secure investments. Until private equity and capital markets eventually validate Moon enterprises as an asset class. 

Have a great space week ahead!

🎤 Our Next Guest: Mike Grace

"We're Building the World's Biggest Gun to Shoot Refrigerators at Mach 20": Mike Grace, CEO of Longshot Space, Is Building the Space Cannon That Could Make Rockets Obsolete

In 1944, German engineers built a 130-meter cannon to shell London while Allied bombers turned their country to rubble. The V-3 supergun never fulfilled its mission, but it proved something Silicon Valley is rediscovering: you don't need rockets to reach space. Mike Grace is building that gun—in a former Oakland auto shop between an asbestos lab and a storage unit full of Capri-Suns. His company Longshot Space has attracted millions from Sam Altman and Tim Draper by firing satellites into orbit using compressed gas at $10 per kilogram versus SpaceX's $3,000. Traditional cannons would destroy payloads with 50,000 Gs of acceleration. Grace's sequential-chamber design drops that to 500 Gs, keeping expensive infrastructure on the ground while rockets remain beautiful dead ends carrying everything that makes them work.

🔍 Topics We'll Cover:

• Why rockets are inherently inefficient "islands"—every launch requires carrying fuel, engines, tanks, and support systems that add mass requiring more fuel in a vicious cycle, while kinetic launch keeps expensive infrastructure grounded and fires payloads repeatedly through the same barrel
• How sequential gas injection drops acceleration from 50,000 Gs to 500 Gs—staging compression chambers along the barrel and timing gas injections precisely distributes acceleration over distance rather than one catastrophic instant, making payloads survivable without exotic engineering
• The Cold War physics that buried kinetic launch for 80 years—despite proven German designs and U.S. military interest, the technology was shelved because the market didn't exist until SpaceX demonstrated that cheaper launch costs unlock massive demand
• Building 10-40 kilometer guns that launch multiple times per day—unlike rockets requiring extensive refurbishment between flights, kinetic launchers fire repeatedly with minimal downtime, enabling constellation deployment at unprecedented rates and making space access routine as container shipping
• Deploying disposable satellite constellations at 150-250 km altitude—when launch drops to $10/kg, satellites become so cheap they're expendable, with swarms of simple sensors replacing expensive long-lived spacecraft and fundamentally changing space architecture economics
• Why adversaries can't stop clouds of cheap sensors with expensive missiles—traditional missile defense assumes valuable targets worth expensive interceptors, but when launch costs drop 300x, killing thousands of $10,000 satellites with million-dollar missiles becomes strategically and financially impossible
• How one second to Mach 20 eliminates the boost phase interception window—rockets spend vulnerable minutes accelerating through atmosphere while kinetic launch achieves orbital velocity in one second inside a barrel, denying adversaries any meaningful engagement opportunity
• The 2030s vision: orbital mirrors, telecommunications constellations, and science fiction made real—when launch costs drop from thousands to tens of dollars per kilogram, projects dismissed as fantasy—solar power satellites, orbital manufacturing at scale, permanent habitats for thousands—transition from PowerPoint to construction contracts

Don't miss this essential conversation with the CEO proving that the technology sitting on shelves since 1944 could finally make space colonies cost millions instead of trillions, and why the battle for cheap access determines who controls the ultimate high ground.

📚 Essential Intel from Our Archives

Missed a beat? These groundbreaking conversations are must-reads:

"We're Sitting on $100 Trillion and Want to Pay $400 Billion to Throw It Away" 

Steven Curtis reveals why nuclear "waste" contains 97% of its original energy worth $100 trillion, how the NRC charges $300/hour to say no to reactors that can't melt down because they're already melted, and why one governor with two minutes of courage could solve our energy crisis.

"We're Playing by 1987 Rules in a 2025 Game" 

Former White House space chief Sean Wilson exposes how export controls from 1987 are killing U.S. competitiveness, why China bundles "practically free" satellites with predatory loans, and how satellites "don't have mothers" fundamentally changes space escalation dynamics.

"Modern War Isn't About Territory—It's About Narrative Control" 

Major General Vladyslav Klochkov, former Chief of Moral-Psychological Support for Ukraine's Armed Forces, reveals how information warfare determines victory before armies meet, and why the battle for minds matters more than the battle for land.

"We're Traveling with Biological Machinery That Can Melt in Space" 

Dr. Ekaterina Kostioukhina, extreme environments physician, explains why human hibernation may be essential for Mars missions, how ground squirrels avoid muscle atrophy during torpor, and why patents on hibernating fish could revolutionize interplanetary travel.

"The Universe Isn't a Machine—It's an Information Processing System" 

Theoretical physicist Davide Cadelano presents his Codex Alpha framework where spacetime emerges from quantum information networks, unifying relativity and quantum mechanics through a radical new understanding that treats the universe as a vast computational system rather than mechanical clockwork.

"How Nation-States Could Blind U.S. Intelligence Without Firing a Shot" 

Robi Sen reveals how "kindergarten children could take over" most satellite networks, why adversarial ML can make satellites gradually shift their perception of reality, and how the convergence of biological, RF, and space warfare creates nightmares current defense frameworks can't even conceptualize.

"We Can Hit Our Target in Space and Return for Rapid Reuse" 

Dr. Robert Statica on building hypersonic aircraft, space-based defense systems, and the race to sub-100 kg space access—revealing how reusable hypersonic platforms could revolutionize both space access and global strike capabilities.

"They Don't Call for Their Parents. They Say 'Long Live the Great Leader'" 

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) In-Bum Chun exposes North Korea's transformation into a cyber superpower, why cognitive warfare is the real threat, and the chilling reality of a society where dying children praise their dictator instead of calling for their mothers.

"Space Wars Are Over in 24 Hours—Most People Don't Even Know They're Happening" 

Space warfare doctrine pioneer Paul Szymanski reveals mathematical proof that the U.S. lost its first space war to Russia in 2014, exposing how temporal pattern analysis unmasks satellite attacks hidden behind "solar flare" cover stories and why hypervelocity weapons from orbit could render the U.S. Navy obsolete overnight.

"The Grid Is Already a Living System—We Just Don't Recognize It"

Power systems veteran Mike Swearingen explains why treating the power grid as a living, autonomous system isn't science fiction—it's an engineering reality we refuse to acknowledge, and how space-domain tactics can secure the grid of tomorrow.

"The Hidden Power Struggle Reshaping China: Xi Jinping's Dramatic Fall From Grace"

An investigation into China's internal power dynamics reveals how Xi Jinping's grip on power is weakening amid economic turmoil, military purges, and rising opposition within the Communist Party.

"I Patented a Space Airlock That Uses 6,000 Times Less Air"

NASA veteran Marc Cohen reveals his revolutionary Suitport design and four decades of challenging engineering orthodoxy, advocating for space habitats that prioritize human experience over forcing astronauts to adapt to machines.

"I Created a Language That Lets AI Think in 128 Dimensions"

Former corporate sales executive Chris McGinty reveals how his McGinty Equation unifies quantum mechanics with relativity through fractal geometry, creating Hyperfluid AI and revolutionary space-folding technologies now being adopted by NATO defense strategists.

"I'm on a Crusade to Expand the Domain of Life"

Space pioneer Rick Tumlinson reveals how he created the NewSpace movement, his work with Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill, and his 40-year mission to expand humanity beyond Earth through commercial space ventures.

"Space Law Is The First Domain Where Nations Agreed On Rules Before Having Practice" 

Military JAG-turned-attorney Trevor Hehn explains how Cold War-era space treaties meet modern commercial ventures, highlighting the challenges of re utilization, dual-use technologies, and regulatory navigation for companies expanding beyond Earth's atmosphere.

"The Unprotected Power Grid Will Be Our Civilization's Death Warrant If We Don't Act"

Doug Ellsworth, Co-Director of the Secure the Grid Coalition, warns about America's vulnerability to electromagnetic pulse attacks and advocates for urgent power grid protection to prevent catastrophic infrastructure collapse.

"When AI Designs Components, They Sometimes Defy Textbook Engineering"

Space Force Lt. Colonel Thomas Nix reveals how 3D printing and AI are creating revolutionary spacecraft designs, with parts that are stronger and lighter than what human engineers could develop using traditional methods.

"The Gaps in Our Lunar Knowledge Are Enormous"

Extraterrestrial Mining Company Chief Scientist Dr. Ruby Patterson describes the urgent need for more lunar geological data before making commercial decisions, while offering a balanced view on helium-3 mining and advocating for inclusive international cooperation in cislunar space.

"We're Building the Railroads of the Space Gold Rush"

Space Phoenix Systems CEO Andrew Parlock positions his company as "FedEx for space," creating an infrastructure that helps businesses launch and return payloads from orbit with minimal friction.

"Our Nuclear Shield Was Killed For Political, Not Technological Reasons"

Reagan's SDI Director Ambassador Henry Cooper argues that effective missile defense technology developed during the Reagan-Bush years was abandoned for political reasons when the Clinton administration "took the stars out of Star Wars."

"Every Country Has a Border with Space"

UK Space Agency CEO Dr. Paul Bate is developing Britain's space industry through initiatives like spaceports in Scotland's Shetland Islands to establish the UK as Europe's premier satellite launch destination.

"We're Treating Satellites Like They're Still In The 1990s" 

Niha Agarwalla, Director of Commercial Space, explains why traditional satellites are obsolete and how resilient constellations will transform space economics.

"When People See Space Guardians in Uniform, They Ask If They're Real" 

Colonel Bill Woolf, 25-year space defense veteran, reveals his mission to build public support for the newest military branch defending America's orbital assets.

"One Kilogram of Helium-3 Is Worth $50 Million" 

Jeffrey Max, Magna Petra CEO, explains how lunar re extraction could revolutionize Earth's energy production and fuel humanity's expansion across the solar system.

"I'm Building a Rocket Engine That Could Reach Alpha Centauri" 

Michael Paluszek, Princeton Satellite Systems President, reveals how fusion propulsion could reduce travel times throughout our solar system and enable humanity's first interstellar missions.

"Space Has a Scottish Accent"

Chris Newlands, CEO of Space Aye, discusses how his company's satellite technology is revolutionizing wildlife conservation and helping to combat illegal fishing and poaching.

"I Learned From the Last Generation of Manhattan Project Veterans”

Patrick McClure, former Kilopower Project Lead at Los Alamos National Laboratory, explains how small nuclear reactors could power future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

"We're Being Attacked Every Day" 

Christopher Stone, Former Pentagon Space Advisor, warns about America's vulnerabilities in orbit and explains why China's "attack to deter" doctrine makes space conflict more likely than many realize.

"I Helped SpaceX Secure Their First Commercial Contracts" 

Serial entrepreneur Robert Feierbach discusses building billion-dollar space ventures across four continents and developing North America's newest spaceport.

"We Can Fly 8,000 Miles In 2 Hours" 

Jess Sponable, Ex-DARPA PM & President of NFA, explains how rocket-powered aircraft will revolutionize global travel through simplified hypersonic technology.​​ 

"This Could Be Our Biggest Economy"

Kevin O'Connell, Former Space Commerce Director, reveals how space is transforming from a government domain to a $1.8 trillion market.

​​"How Do You Win a War in Space?" 

Ram Riojas, Ex-Nuclear Commander and Space Defense Expert, explains why the next war will start in space and how nations are preparing their defenses.

"First Day on the Job, Hubble Was Broken" 

Mike Kaplan, James Webb Space Telescope Pioneer, reveals how early setbacks with Hubble shaped NASA's approach to complex space missions and discusses the commercial revolution transforming space exploration.

The Future of Human Space Habitation 

Jules Ross reveals how her journey from artist to space visionary is reshaping human adaptation to space through Earth's first artificial gravity station.

Space Law's New Frontier 

Attorney Michael J. Listner unpacks the complex legal challenges facing modern space activities. From re rights to orbital debris management

Making Oceans Transparent From Space

Navy Legend Guy Thomas, inventor of S-AIS, shares how his invention transformed global maritime surveillance and security.