We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast Network TIP408: A Deep Dive into Terran Orbital w/ Marc Bell
Dec 26, 2021
Marc Bell, the Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Terran Orbital, discusses navigating the competitive Earth observation market. He shares insights into the groundbreaking CubeSat initiative and improvements in satellite technology. The conversation explores Terran's impressive $9 billion in government contracts and their strategic move to go public through a SPAC merger. Bell emphasizes the advantages of larger satellites and the future of satellite manufacturing while providing perspectives on the evolving landscape of space investments.
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Origin of CubeSats
- Terran Orbital's subsidiary, Tyvak, was founded by Dr. Jordi Puig-Suari, co-inventor of the CubeSat.
- This technology miniaturized satellites, paving the way for small satellite companies.
Inspiration for Smaller Satellites
- Marc Bell's interest in space tech stems from realizing smartphones have more computing power than the space shuttle.
- He questioned why large, outdated satellites were still being built and saw potential in smaller, more advanced options.
Evolution of Earth Observation
- Earth Observation 1.0 involved taking pictures from space, limited by sunlight and cloud cover.
- Earth Observation 2.0 utilizes Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which penetrates clouds and works at night, creating images from radar data.