Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan

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.

Intuitive Machines made history in 2024 with the first successful private lunar lander mission. Now, the company aims to do it again with its Athena spacecraft next month, carrying a collection of payloads. Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the mission, the business model and the company’s long-term vision.

Public-private partnership Earth Fire Alliance includes Google, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Minderoo Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund—and Muon Space. Fire Alliance Executive Director Brian Collins & Muon Space CEO Jonny Dyer join Morgan Brennan to discuss using space technology and AI to detect small fires before they become large and devastating, helping incident commanders make better-informed decisions about resource allocation. 

Redwire is expanding into the defense market with its acquisition of aerial drone maker Edge Autonomy. Redwire previously won a Pentagon contract  to build what is essentially an orbital drone...and that inspired a strategy to create a one-stop shop for "platform coverage" from the surface of the earth to the surface of the moon and beyond. Redwire CEO Peter Cannito joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the big bet on drones and what he expects from this next “Golden Age” of space. 

Hermeus is developing hypersonic aircraft – five times the speed of sound and across the Atlantic Ocean in roughly 90 minutes. The startup officially inaugurated its new facility in Florida with a series of successful engine tests, wrapping 2024 by ground testing its first aircraft. Now, the startup is nearing the Quarterhorse engine’s first flight. Co-founder & CEO AJ Piplica alongside Chief Revenue Officer Zach Shore join Morgan Brennan from the Reagan National Defense Forum to discuss the promise of hypersonic flight and the path to making it mainstream.

A decade in the making, standing at 32-stories tall and packing more than twice the thrust of SpaceX’s Falcon 9, Blue Origin’s heavy lift rocket will be launching uncrewed from Florida’s space coast with a launch window opening at 1 ET. The mission is ambitious: New Glenn will fly another company creation - a prototype of the blue ring space tug - to orbit and designed to be partially reusable. On the eve of the launch, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp talks to Morgan Brennan about what’s at stake, how he sees Competition evolving with market dominating rival SpaceX , and how the Bezos’ funded company is becoming a self-sustaining business.