Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan

Pete Cannito, CEO of Redwire, a leader in space infrastructure and defense tech, teams up with Kirk Konert, Managing Partner at AE Industrial Partners, to delve into Redwire's transformative acquisition of Edge Autonomy. They explore how drones and AI are revolutionizing modern warfare and discuss the booming investment landscape in defense tech. The duo highlights the vital role of space in global deterrence and shares insights on navigating funding challenges, emerging technologies, and the importance of intelligence and surveillance in military operations.

Voyager Technologies, a commercial space and defense technology startup, has gone public. Skyrocketing more than 80% in its first day trading at the New York Stock Exchange, it reflects a milestone for the broader space. Co-founder & CEO Dylan Taylor joins Morgan Brennan from the stock exchange to talk about the new frontier for the company and space economy: Wall Street. 

CNBC’s Morgan Brennan sits down with Applied Intuition Co-founder and CEO Qasar Younis to discuss the company’s work to bring AI to more civilian and military vehicles, and the important of American innovation in the space as global competition heats up.

Zeno Power, a nuclear battery startup, has just raised $50 million in a Series B funding round to bring its nuclear battery to market. The startup has secured more than $60 million in contracts from the Pentagon and NASA to develop these batteries for maritime and space applications. Co-founder & CEO Tyler Bernstein joins Morgan Brennan to discuss delivering nuclear energy to remote locations

Rob Painter, CEO of Trimble, a leader in construction and agriculture technology, shares insights on the company's impressive journey from GPS roots to AI-driven innovation. He discusses how space technology enhances project management across industries and addresses the dual nature of trade policies affecting global markets. Painter also emphasizes the need for safeguarding satellite data amidst geopolitical risks, while highlighting Trimble’s strategic growth and the integration of cutting-edge technology to boost productivity and sustainability.

Once the stuff of science fiction, moon mining is getting government backing. Seattle-based startup Interlune—a previous guest of the podcast— came out of stealth last year. Its mission: to harvest resources from the moon. Now, they’re ready to announce their first customers. The Department of Energy has purchased three liters of lunar-extracted helium-3 for a delivery by 2029. A nuclear energy byproduct, Helium-3 is useful for cryogenics, medical equipment and fusion power—but its scarcity comes with a hefty price tag at $20 million per kilogram. Interlune CEO Rob Meyerosn joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the massive opportunity in moon mining.

True Anomaly has just raised $260 million in a Series C funding round. The company, which develops spacecraft that can maneuver each other in orbit, will use the capital to ramp up production and support future missions. Co-founder & CEO Even Rogers joins Morgan Brennan to discuss securing and defending space.

April has been one of the stock market’s most tumultuous months ever. While defense and aerospace haven’t been entirely immune—as government spending on initiatives like space security rises, those boasting government contracts have proven to be safe havens for investors. Andrew Chanin, the co-founder & CEO of ProcureAM, is one of the minds behind the first-ever ETF fully dedicated to space stocks. He joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the investing landscape, the space economy, and where he sees opportunity in the volatility.

Parth Trivedi, CEO and co-founder of Skylo, reveals his insights on the burgeoning space-based communications market. He explains how Skylo's technology connects cell phones to satellites using standard cellular chipsets, bypassing the need for specialized hardware. The conversation shifts to the rising demand for satellite connectivity across industries like automotive and IoT, and how collaborations with tech giants enhance mobile experiences. Trivedi also highlights the competition with Starlink and Amazon in shaping the future of connectivity.

After an eight day spaceflight turned into a 286-day space odyssey, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on Earth. The “stranded” NASA astronauts flew home in a SpaceX Dragon capsule, instead of the Boeing Starliner which carried them to the I.S.S. last June. Williams and Wilmore join Morgan Brennan to discuss the return to Earth, Boeing Starliner and the future of human spaceflight.