#13: Are We Ready for a New Space Economy?

Jason: Yes, thank you. And thank you for hosting me on this podcast. My background was 25 years with the US Air Force, in the US Air Force's Space Program — what's now known as the Space Force. I’ve been around for a while and I have over a couple of decades with that enterprise that took me mostly in Europe, the Pacific and, of course, in the US.

After my time with the Air Force that finished up in 2021, I did consulting with startups in space. I saw a need for capability during my time with the Air Force, not just from a military perspective, but for humanitarian relief and et cetera. So I did consulting with startups for a while, helping them write grants for the US Air Force Small Business Innovation Research Program. And then I found the opportunity with Dassault Systèmes to advance the use of virtual twins in the development of space systems. And luckily, I've been able to come on board and work on the Dassault Systèmes worldwide team, mainly focusing on North America and Europe, but it is a worldwide endeavor.

Sabrina: That’s great, thanks for that introduction. So let’s look at new space as it is now. It’s the 21^st century and it’s bustling with activity in new space. When we mention space, people typically think about pictures from space, space communications, human spaceflight and rocket launches. But now, new mission areas are emerging as the “population” and profitability of space increase. In particular, ISAM is shifting how companies have operated for the last 60 years.

Jason: ISAM covers many capabilities, but the acronym stands for “in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing.” You might have heard of OSAM, which is orbital, but ISAM has been the term that's come forward as the go-to. But in this ISAM effort, there’s also a key implied task — you have to identify and track objects in space. This area is known as space situational awareness and we've done that since the beginning of us going into space.

And going into space has been a little bit of a messy business as well. We've left a lot of debris: Rocket bodies, other things in space, human-made things. So, with that space situational awareness (SSA) mission, we need to do active debris removal (ADR) now. Those are a couple of implied tasks ahead of ISAM.

With this SSA, you need to know what’s there – in that physical space you want to use – and there’s a lot of attention now on removing that orbital debris and creating a sustainable space environment without contributing to more debris. So things like reusable rocketry and more are helping us to create less debris as well as manage the space we're using. But with that space situational awareness, once we can “see” what’s in the environment, we can service satellites by inspecting, relocating, replenishing them and more.

Sabrina: Wow, imagine the day when spacecraft and satellite servicing could happen just as easily and efficiently as refueling a car or repairing a ship. I’m just thinking it’s my space movies coming to life.

Jason: Exactly. I mean, we're not quite there yet, but there's a ways to go. Capabilities like assembling structures and spacecraft to manufacturing in space are definitely moving from science fiction to reality. There have been years of experiments on government-funded space stations to explore in-space manufacturing. The private sector is now taking these capabilities into commercial offerings to expand the in-space economy significantly. Our technology is advancing to make these capabilities in space affordable, practical and profitable.

Sabrina: That’s great. And space technology is continuing to advance, isn’t it? Only 60 years ago, the term “servicing” appeared in NASA’s dictionary of technical terms. Later on, in the 1990s, the term “satellite servicing” began to pop up. So it looks like ISAM isn’t really a new concept here, but there’s renewed interest and investment in this area, and it’s fueled by a maturing vision of a modern in-space economy.

Jason: Yes, for sure. Servicing was conducted in the early days of spaceflight and continued into the Space Shuttle program and space station programs such as MIR, Skylab and what we have today of the International Space Station, or the ISS. But these were not at an accessible affordability level, and the use of the technology was crazy expensive.

Now, our technology readiness levels (TRLs) for ISAM requirements have emerged, and investments are being made to further advance the TRLs needed for an in-space infrastructure and economy there. Looking at technology maturity, the mission capabilities for servicing and assembly are in the near term – that’s within 5 years – while manufacturing will be more of a long-term capability. We’re looking at beyond five years for those.

Sabrina: The question is: Why now?

Jason: It’s a great question and a good point. Recently, thoughts and paradigms have shifted to think more of spacecraft sustainment and the sustainability of the space environment. If your spacecraft is around longer, you're going to get more revenue from that spacecraft. And then, of course, cleaning up the environment of space creates more usable space and orbits that generate profits for these commercial endeavors.

Another area that supports servicing capability maturity is the recent story of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issuing a hefty fine to a company for failing to move an old satellite far away enough from others that were in use. I’d say that the technology is at a stage where companies must start utilizing it or they’ll be held accountable – financially, in this case – for improper activities in space.

This enforcement of regulations should get more of the industry to pay attention. Now, this fine was tiny compared to the revenue reported by the company in the last year. However, it has to start somewhere, and this is the first step toward that accountability in space.

Sabrina: Exactly, it has to start somewhere. I think companies are used to launching “one and done” satellites into space, but now they have to consider: What actually happens when the satellite becomes redundant? And there’s no shortage of innovative actors who are trying to answer this question. They come in all shapes and sizes, from new startups to traditional OEMs working to advance technologies for use by the in-space economy.

Jason: I think getting to the MVP – the minimum viable product, or the first mockup – is an essential step in lean product development, but this can take months or years to get that first prototype. Lean and agile product development processes are vital, especially for startups in the ISAM market. Layers of complexity must be balanced with the risks and the resources available to these people bringing this innovation to life.

Sabrina: It’s no surprise that getting to the MVP is time-consuming. Is there anything out there that can help companies reach the MVP quicker?

Jason: Well, yes, I would say as paradigms have shifted, we’ve discovered a model-based approach is much faster and more efficient — especially if your team works in a collaborative environment with digital models and virtual twins. Products can be right the first time, having gone through rigorous physics-based simulations to drive design and determine the performance before you ever “bend metal” for your product to make that physical product. This can shave months to years off of the time to market.

Sabrina: That’s a really good point. And we already know that model-based systems engineering (MBSE) has been proven to lower business risk in both space and non-space applications. In a digital environment with complete visibility to design, test and validate complex systems, MBSE offers many advantages of being in space without the high cost and risk.

Jason: Scalability is key — creating processes and structures that can grow with you. Having an innovative product design is just the beginning. Those who position themselves for scaling up to meet demand and expanding their portfolio of capabilities are bound to be more successful than an approach with only a short-term outlook.

Sabrina: You’re exactly right, Jason. Planning for growth should always be a part of your initial strategy. And this means the digital solutions companies use must incorporate a long-term view. Growth, development and scalability can be inherent in a company’s processes and approaches, especially in a collaborative environment like Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE® platform.

Jason: And a collaborative environment, along with collaboration across the space ecosystem, can only benefit ISAM players. Being involved in a network of government players, other startups and major OEMs brings synergy to your efforts and creates mutually beneficial scenarios as players navigate the new space economy.

Sabrina: Connecting with PhD holders, startups and experts, even Dassault Systèmes’ own R&D teams, it makes information-sharing and innovation much easier and faster. The new space economy has many players, but let’s now focus on the startups.

Jason: I’ve been very lucky in my time to meet a lot of really innovative startups. There are several startups that are addressing space traffic management that you mentioned. But one that has stood out to me for years is LeoLabs. It’s pioneering commercial space situational awareness, that SSA that we mentioned before, and providing space object identification. We still classify it as a small business, by definition, but it’s really doing big things.

And another startup, when we talk about ISAM, is in the areas of satellite servicing. Starfish Space comes to mind. Starfish Space has launched its Otter Pup spacecraft. It’s progressing in its mission of space tugs in orbit to provide autonomous satellite servicing.

Sabrina: Nice, the startups are really moving fast. I think in time, we’ll see satellites with longer lifecycles and greater mission performance, and I don’t think any of this would have been achievable without digital solutions.

Jason: Yes, the assembly and manufacturing areas of ISAM are where we will see “shop floors” and “laboratories” in space. Startups are moving in this area, too. One that comes to mind is ThinkOrbital. It’s developing large, scalable structures to support the in-space economy.

One that you may have seen in the headlines with crew training, space launches, space station development and spacesuit development is Axiom Space. It’s quickly developed a winning record and we’re sure to see more great things to come from Axiom Space.

One other quick mention is that everything happening in the space economy requires data handling and processing. Companies offering in-space computing capabilities – like Nebula Compute and Lonestar – they’re addressing a needed area to further accelerate the new space economy.

Sabrina: Space used to be dominated by a select few — gone are those days! Today’s startups are present in almost every corner of the new space environment.

Jason: Yes, there’s so much happening in the space sector. Traditional areas that have been around for over 50 years, such as Earth observation and communications, or space-based communications, those continue to advance and improve life on Earth while helping us gather and promulgate insights not seen before.

Space exploration also continues, and new countries are entering the exploration arena as well. At the same time, new missions in space are developing: ISAM being our topic today, but others such as space-based computing, orbital habitats, space logistics, space traffic management and space tourism; these are all areas we’ll see science fiction move toward reality.

It’s an exhilarating time to be involved with space, and I really look forward to seeing innovative products and processes continue to spawn from the new space ecosystem. I think if we have this conversation a year from now, there'll be things we hadn't imagined in play, so it's a very exciting time to be involved with the space ecosystem.

Sabrina: Thank you, Jason. Together, we’ve unpacked the state of the new space economy, the developments in ISAM and how digital tools such as virtual twins and a model-based approach can help all new space players defy the limits.

To learn more about Dassault Systèmes’ innovative solutions, visit www.3ds.com and check out the Aerospace and Defense industry page.

Narrator: Disruptors Unleashed is produced by Dassault Systèmes. For more episodes, follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, or your nearest streaming platforms. To learn more about Dassault Systèmes, visit us at 3ds.com.