With the recent passage of the 2026 NDAA, we’re digging into one of the biggest questions facing U.S. national security right now: if defense spending rises toward $1.5 trillion in 2027, what should that money actually deliver—especially for the U.S. Space Force?

My next guest argues that any meaningful boost in defense funding should prioritize the Department of the Air Force, including a Space Force that’s still young, understaffed, and working to consolidate America’s military space responsibilities.

David Deptula is Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Power Studies. We spoke about what the ideal funding situation for the Space Force could look like.

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Beginning our show today with Kelle Wendling—an accomplished aerospace and defense executive with more than three decades of leadership experience across space systems, ISR, and government contracting.

Wendling recently joined the Board of Directors at Sidus Space, bringing a career that includes senior roles at L3Harris Technologies, where she helped lead major growth and innovation efforts supporting U.S. and international government customers.

I had the chance to ask her about her past experiences and what she thinks could be on the horizon for the commercial space industry.

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What do Olympic-level athletics and cutting-edge astrophysics have in common? Discipline, curiosity, and a deep respect for gravity. Why am I bringing that up, well I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Isabelle Connor, a senior astrophysics major whose path to studying black holes and cosmic turbulence began in elite gymnastics and an early fascination with space. Isabel is also one of those recently named Distinguished Undergraduate Awardee from the Universities Space Research Association.

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When people think about the space economy, they often picture rockets and distant planets—but none of it works without infrastructure. I was recently joined by Phil Scully, General Partner at Balerian Space Ventures, to explore how investors are building the plumbing of the new space economy.

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Space is getting more crowded—and sometimes, objects go missing. But there is at least one way of finding lost space junk. I recently had the chance to talk to Jeff Shadix, Vice President of Space Surveillance and Systems at Slingshot Aerospace, about a real-world mission to track down a lost Russian satellite in medium Earth orbit.

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GPS is so woven into daily life that most of us don’t think twice about it—until it’s gone. But behind that familiar blue dot is a powerful space-based system that;- touches everything from aviation safety and satellite navigation to financial transactions and earthquake alerts. To discuss the latest and to get some more background on the technology, I spoke with Lisa Dyer, Executive Director of the GPS Innovation Alliance.

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The world of air and space is expanding fast, and the legal frameworks that govern it need to keep up. The University of Mississippi School of Law is launching the nation’s first fully online Master of Science in Air and Space Law, designed to train professionals to navigate the complex legal and regulatory landscape of aviation, drones, and space operations.

I had the chance to speak with the person at the helm, Michele Hanlon who is executive director of the university’s Center for Air and Space Law.

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Space may finally be getting its energy revolution. Star Catcher Industries, the company building the first orbital power grid, just set a new world record for wireless optical power transmission — surpassing DARPA’s benchmark — by delivering more than 1.1 kilowatts of energy to standard solar panels at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Andrew Rush, CEO and co-founder of Star Catcher, to explain how their technology could “supercharge” satellites, power lunar vehicles, and transform the way spacecraft generate and use energy in orbit.

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