Jeffrey Manber, a pioneering commercial-space entrepreneur and special representative at Voyager Technologies, shares his incredible journey in the world of space commerce. He discusses forming the Office of Space Commerce and his efforts in establishing U.S.–Soviet commercial space collaborations, including the leasing of the Mir space station. Manber also dives into the creation of Nanoracks and the innovative Bishop airlock, as well as his vision for Starlab, a sustainable private space station. His insights on the future of commercial space are both inspiring and thought-provoking.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Spend Time In Government To Unlock Opportunities
Work briefly in government to open doors and build influence across agencies.
Use that position to connect private opportunities to policy pathways and get critical approvals.
question_answer ANECDOTE
How A Secret Mir Deal Began Commercial US‑Russian Work
Jeffrey Manber described how a U.S. company secretly signed a pharmaceutical research deal with Mir and needed an export license.
He worked inside the Commerce Department to reframe the license and get approval despite political pushback.
question_answer ANECDOTE
MirCorp's Rise, Crew Flight, And Sudden Collapse
Manber recounts MirCorp leasing Mir, raising investor funds and launching the first commercial two‑person crew.
Financial setbacks and political pressure later forced MirCorp to end despite $179M in backlog and real commercial activity.
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This week, we talk with our favorite Newspace Buccaneer, Jeffrey Manber. When so many people were touting their private spaceflight dreams in the 1980s, Manber took the next enormous stride and actually made it happen. He formed the Office of Space Commerce within the US Department of Commerce at the invitation of the Reagan administration, forged the first commercial relations with the then-Soviet Union, bridged that into the post-USSR period, and was responsible for the first commercial spaceflight to the then-mothballed Soviet-era Mir space station with a crew that stayed there for 70 days. He then went on to develop a variety of commercial space enterprises, from the first commercial platform to release smallsats from the ISS to initiating the Bishop airlock that became part of the space station. He also started Nanoracks, the first privately developed and standardized satellite deployment mechanism to fly. Finally, he initiated Starlab, the private space station currently under development by Voyager Technologies and a consortium of aerospace companies. Join us for this very special episode with one of the key founders of NewSpace!
Headlines:
SpaceX Plans 2026 IPO and Possible $1.5 Trillion Valuation
NASA Loses Contact with Mars Maven Orbiter
Discussion of Star Trek's New Starfleet Academy Series Trailer
Main Topic: Privatizing Orbit and the Roots of Commercial Space
Jeffrey Manber Details Early US-Russian Commercial Space Collaborations
Space Journalism Origins and Shaping Commercial Space Policies
Inside the Launch of Commercial Space Fund and the Office of Space Commerce
First US Commercial Contracts with Soviet Union and Mir Space Station
Navigating Washington Policy and Export Licenses for Soviet Deals
Attempt to Privatize Mir: Meerkorp, Leasing the Space Station, and Commercial Astronaut Crews
The Rise of Nanoracks and Commercial Payloads on the ISS
Building Star Lab: Partnerships, Scale, Launch Plans, and Commercial Design
Comparing Star Lab's Ambitions to Vast, Axiom, and China's Tiangong
Evaluating SpaceX's Public Offering and Its Impact on Elon Musk's Strategy
Jeffrey Manber's Other Projects: Writing About Mars and Lincoln's Wrath
Thoughts on America's Future in Commercial Orbit and Personal Memoir Plans
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