Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan

The U.S. Space Force has tapped Rocket Lab and startup Stoke Space to join the National Security Space Launch program as part of NSSL’s Phase 3 Lane 1 category. For Rocket Lab, it represents a big opportunity for its new Neutron rocket, a medium-lift vehicle under development. Founder & CEO Peter Beck joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the new award, the timeline for Neutron, and Rocket Lab’s company outlook.

Apex Space, a satellite manufacturing startup is celebrating on year of its satellite on orbit this month. Founded in 2022, the startup’s goal is to ease the production process of off-the-shelf satellite buses that help customers shift risk and money from making spacecraft to focusing on the missions they want to conduct. A member of Anduril Technologies’ “Super Friends” establishing a new American industrial base, the company secured as $46 million U.S. Space Force contract last month. CEO Ian Cinnamon joins Morgan Brennan to celebrate the milestone, challenges within the spacecraft supply chain, and how Trump 2.0 will tackle space policy.

Planet Labs marked its first quarter of profitability by adjusted EBITDA. The satellite imagery and earth observation data company saw its backlog surge in the fiscal fourth quarter by 115%. Co-founder, Chair & CEO Will Marshall joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the quarter and why he sees the company as being at an inflection point.

Andy Lowery, CEO of Epirus, leads a company at the forefront of electronic warfare specializing in drone disruption. He discusses the recent $250 million funding round aimed at scaling production and the urgent need for rapid innovation in defense tech. The conversation highlights the shift from service-oriented defense solutions to product innovation, emphasizing strategic military applications of their groundbreaking electromagnetic defenses. Lowery also delves into challenges posed by supply chain issues and trade wars impacting critical components.

Firefly Aerospace has made history with its commercial lunar lander Blue Ghost making a soft landing over the weekend—the second private operation to ever do so, and the first to do it without complications. The mission involved five payloads collected valuable data. CEO Jason Kim joins Morgan Brennan to discuss Blue Ghost’s successful soft landing, the company’s upcoming plans to launch its Alpha rocket and potentially launching lunar missions to Mars.

Lane Bess is a long-time tech entrepreneur and investor – and an astronaut, having flown with Blue Origin twice. The former Palo Alto Networks CEO recently flew on the company’s 10th human spaceflight for a suborbital flight. He sat down with CNBC’s Morgan Brennan to discuss the mission, space tourism, and the future of AI in the space business.

Autonomous shipbuilder Saronic is raising $600 million in a Series C funding round that—within a year— quadruples its valuation to $4 billion. CEO Dino Mavrookas joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the challenges and delays in miliary shipbuilding, the company’s $600 million Series C funding round, and making vessels that don’t require humans.

Forterra is in the business of autonomous vehicles…but not for the everyday driver. The startup has developed self-driving capabilities for defense and industrial customers, now announcing a production contract with the U.S. Marines to make Oshkosh’s Rogue Fire vehicles autonomous. CEO Josh Araujo and Chief Growth Officer Scott Sanders join Morgan Brennan to discuss its partnerships with defense contractors, taking soldiers and Marines out of harms way, and how the company’s technology can be used beyond the battlefield.

Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood and now CEO of Aetherflux, aims to revolutionize energy with space-based solar power. He discusses the innovative technology of satellites harnessing solar energy and transmitting it via infrared lasers. Bhatt reflects on his journey from finance to this ambitious energy solution, inspired by a family legacy in physics and space. The conversation highlights the potential of this technology to meet growing energy demands on Earth and its transformative impact on sustainable energy.

Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space, leads a Canadian company at the forefront of satellite innovation. He discusses MDA's significant $770 million contract with Globalstar to enhance satellite communication capabilities, vital for emergency services. Greenley also emphasizes the surge in satellite production and international collaboration in lunar exploration. The conversation touches on the evolving space economy and the competitive landscape, including insights on T-Mobile's Starlink beta and its potential to improve connectivity in underserved regions.