Space Business with Fexingo: Launch Companies, Satellites, and Commercial Spaceflight

Methane is 80 times more potent than CO2 in the short term, and regulators are starting to price it. Lucas and Luna dig into the fast-growing market for satellite methane monitoring — a sector that consultancy IHS Markit projects will be worth $1.4 billion annually by 2030. They look at the specific hardware choices: why shortwave infrared sensors work best for detecting point-source leaks, how GH...

Lucas and Luna explore the emerging business of space-based quantum communication networks. With a focus on the first commercial quantum satellite launched by a startup called QubitSpace in April 2026, they break down the technology, the addressable market for unbreakable encryption, and how it compares to fiber-based quantum networks. The episode digs into the specific economics: the cost of laun...

The International Space Station is scheduled to retire around 2030, and a handful of private companies are racing to replace it. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the business case for commercial low-earth orbit destinations — from Axiom Space's phased module approach to Voyager Space's Starlab joint venture. They look at the actual economics: how much it costs to build a pressurized volu...

Lucas and Luna break down the surprising business behind renting lab space on the International Space Station and upcoming commercial stations. With NASA's transition to a 'customer' model, companies like Axiom Space are selling access to microgravity for materials science, biotech, and even art. They explore a specific case: how a startup grew better protein crystals in orbit for drug design — an...

Episode 25 of Space Business with Fexingo explores the emerging economics of sea-based launch platforms. Lucas and Luna examine why companies like SpaceX, Sea Launch (revived), and Chinese startup Orienspace are looking offshore to avoid range congestion, lower insurance costs, and access equatorial orbits more efficiently. They break down the specific cost savings — up to 30% on fuel for equatori...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore why space insurance premiums have skyrocketed by 35 percent in the past year. They break down the specific losses that drove the market to tighten — including a major geostationary satellite failure and a launch anomaly that cost underwriters over $400 million. The hosts explain how the insurance cycle works, why reinsurers are pulling back, and what this me...

Lucas and Luna dig into the overlooked business of satellite propulsion—the small thrusters that keep spacecraft in orbit, avoid collisions, and enable end-of-life disposal. They explore why electric propulsion (like Hall-effect thrusters) is becoming standard, how startups are challenging legacy suppliers, and the growing market for satellite maneuvering services. With specific numbers on cost pe...

Episode 22 of Space Business with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna explore how national security imperatives are reshaping the launch industry. With the U.S. Space Force's National Security Space Launch Phase 3 program awarding contracts worth potentially $5.6 billion, defense demand is now the dominant driver for new rocket development. The hosts break down the implications for companies like SpaceX, Unit...

Episode 21 of Space Business with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna unpack the emerging business case for in-orbit refueling — a technology that could extend satellite lifetimes by years and unlock new revenue models for operators. They break down the economics with a concrete example: a hypothetical $200 million geostationary communications satellite that runs out of station-keeping fuel after 15 years. Re...

Episode 20 of Space Business with Fexingo dives into the emerging market for on-orbit servicing, repair, and refueling of satellites. Lucas and Luna break down the economics of extending satellite lifespans versus launching replacements, using the case of the 2025 Mission Extension Pod built by SpaceLogistics. They discuss the cost per year of geostationary satellite operations, the role of custom...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the emerging market for satellite spectrum rights. They break down how companies like Ligado Networks and the recent FCC spectrum auctions have created a new asset class worth billions. The hosts discuss the concept of spectrum as a non-depletable but finite resource, the legal battles over interference, and how startups are speculating on unused frequencies...

Episode 18 of Space Business with Fexingo dives into the emerging market for satellite-based carbon monitoring. Lucas and Luna explore how startups like GHGSat and MethaneSAT are turning emissions data into a revenue stream, selling to governments, oil & gas operators, and ESG investors. They break down the economics: a $10 million satellite can generate $50 million in annual data sales, and regul...

Episode 17 of Space Business with Fexingo dives into the emerging market for space-based Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. Lucas and Luna explore how tiny, low-cost satellites are enabling global IoT networks for industries like agriculture, logistics, and energy. They break down the economics: the cost per connected device is dropping below $2 per month, while the addressable market is proje...

In episode 16 of Space Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna look at the actual economics of space tourism — not the hype, but the numbers. They break down the per-seat cost structure of Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, compare the addressable market to early commercial aviation, and examine the surprising revenue from corporate charters and research payloads. Specific data: how a $450,000 ticket...

Episode 15 of Space Business with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna explore the emerging economics of space-based solar power (SBSP). They break down why the concept — once dismissed as sci-fi — is attracting serious investment, from the UK's Space Energy Initiative to Japan's JAXA and private startups. They examine the key cost hurdle: launch prices must fall below $100 per kilogram for SBSP to compete wit...

In this episode of Space Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how satellite imagery and machine learning are reshaping the multi-billion-dollar crop insurance industry. They focus on the case of Planet Labs, a company that provides daily high-resolution images of every field on Earth, and how its data feeds into models used by insurers like Farmers Edge and The Climate Corporation. Lucas...

In this episode of Space Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna unpack the emerging market for orbital debris removal. They focus on Astroscale's recent demonstration mission and ClearSpace's upcoming contract with the European Space Agency. Lucas explains the economics behind these missions, including the cost per kilogram of debris and the liability challenges that insurers and operators face. Lu...

Most manufacturing happens on Earth and gets launched into space at enormous cost. But a growing number of startups and established aerospace players are asking: what if we made things directly in orbit? In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine the economics of in-space manufacturing — from specialty fiber optics that require near-zero gravity to pharmaceuticals that crystallize better off-world. T...

Lucas and Luna dig into the rapidly evolving market for launch insurance, a $1.2 billion annual premium pool that is being reshaped by reusable rockets, higher failure rates in new small launchers, and a capacity crunch among underwriters. They explore how insurers are recalibrating risk models for SpaceX's Falcon 9 block buys versus single-use startups, why the industry is seeing a move toward pa...

Lucas and Luna drill into the business case for asteroid mining, moving past the sci-fi hype to examine real cost structures, technological hurdles, and market demand. They break down the estimated $2.6 billion development cost for a viable prospecting mission, the challenge of getting platinum-group metals back to Earth without crashing the market, and why water mining for in-space fuel might be...

Space companies are competing fiercely for a small pool of skilled engineers and technicians, driving up salaries and forcing startups to rethink hiring strategies. Lucas and Luna explore how SpaceX's scale sets compensation benchmarks, why small launcher startups struggle to retain talent, and what creative solutions like equity-heavy compensation and remote work are emerging. Featuring specific...

Lucas and Luna explore the growing battle over satellite spectrum—the invisible infrastructure that makes space communications possible. With companies like SpaceX, Amazon's Project Kuiper, and OneWeb racing to secure orbital slots and radio frequencies, a new kind of land grab is unfolding in international regulatory bodies like the ITU. This episode drills into the 2025 World Radiocommunication...

For decades, satellites meant room-sized machines costing hundreds of millions to build and launch. But the rise of small satellites — some as compact as a shoebox — is fundamentally reshaping the business model of space. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine how standardized smallsat platforms have slashed development time and launch costs, opening the industry to startups and university labs....

Space-based internet was supposed to bypass geography, but the real fight for satellite broadband is being decided not in orbit but on the ground. This episode looks at the battle for ground stations and gateway licences — the hidden infrastructure that determines who actually connects and who gets left out. Lucas and Luna walk through a specific case: why Australia's outback has become a choke po...

For years the space industry has talked about commercial space stations as a future possibility. But Lucas and Luna dig into the numbers that show it's already happening now — from Axiom Space's plan to attach the first commercial module to the ISS in 2026 to Vast's fully private station launching on a SpaceX Starship. They break down the unit economics of a low-earth-orbit habitat: how much a ber...