Space Connect Podcast

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Episodes

141

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

The Space Connect Podcast tells the stories of the people and businesses that are shaping the development of Australia's space industry. Join Space Connect Podcast host Adam Thorn as he uncovers the talent driving this emerging sector – and how you can play your part in this booming industry.

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60 recent

June 15, 202644 min

Australian Space Summit 2026, international space law and governance, with Professor Steven Freeland

How should Australia position itself in the global space competition as new technologies challenge existing rules and governance frameworks? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Professor Steven Freeland, emeritus professor at Western Sydney University, professorial fellow at Bond University and former member of the Australian Space Agency Advisory Board (2020–24). Freeland is also chair of the United Nations Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities and will appear as a panel speaker at the upcoming Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2026 on 17 and 18 June at the Hyatt Regency, Sydney. The podcast conversation includes the following topics: Current challenges and opportunities facing international space law and governance. How Australia can strengthen its role as a respected middle space power. The policy settings and government support needed to grow sovereign space capability. Balancing international cooperation and competition as space activity expands. The growing role of AI and autonomous systems across space operations. The risks of orbital congestion, space debris and long-term space sustainability. The future of space resource activity and the need for practical global frameworks. Finally, the discussion explores how Australia can build on its strengths and contribute to a safer and more sustainable future in space. Enjoy the podcast, The Space Connect team

June 12, 202638 min

Australian Space Summit 2026, in-space logistics and orbital policy, with Bradley Hatton-Jones

How can Australia build a stronger role in the global space economy and position itself for the next phase of commercial space activity? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Bradley Hatton-Jones, founder and chief executive of Gold Coast-based space logistics company Orbit2Orbit. Hatton-Jones is a South African-born aerospace entrepreneur leading Orbit2Orbit in developing in-space logistics capability designed to move cargo and support operations between orbital destinations. He is also attending the upcoming Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2026 held on 17 and 18 June at the Hyatt Regency Sydney. The podcast conversation includes the following topics: Australia's space policy settings and the need for clearer national direction and reduced regulatory complexity. How Australia can leverage its geography, launch capability and industrial strengths to build a competitive space sector. The vision for Australia as a full-cycle space nation spanning launch, in-space operations, recovery and reuse. Recent developments across domestic industry and the challenges of funding, coordination and government support. The rise of in-space logistics, reusable spacecraft and sustainable orbital infrastructure. The role of collaboration, competition and commercial partnerships across the space ecosystem. How AI and autonomous systems are changing engineering, operations and growth across the industry. The long-term challenge of orbital congestion, space sustainability and governance for routine space operations. Finally, the discussion wraps up by exploring Australia's priorities to 2030 and how policymakers can enable a more practical and commercially accessible space sector. Enjoy the podcast, The Space Connect team

April 30, 202647 min

Space Command workforce expansion and operationalising the domain, with Major General Gregory Novak AM

How is Australia building a specialised space workforce while balancing sovereign capability, allied integration and the operational demands of a contested domain? In this episode of the Space Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Commander of Australian Space Command, Major General Gregory Novak AM, to discuss the rapid evolution of the space domain and its growing importance to national security. MAJGEN Novak outlines the role of Space Command as a force generation organisation responsible for raising, training and sustaining Australia's space capability. The discussion explores direct entry pathways and creation of dedicated space workforce streams, including space operations officers and specialists as well as how these roles will build deep technical mastery while maintaining integration across land, sea, air and cyber domains. The episode also examines how Australia is prioritising key mission areas such as satellite communications, space domain awareness and missile warning while balancing sovereign capability development with allied and commercial partnerships. The podcast conversation includes the following topics: Introduction of direct entry recruitment pathways for space operations roles. Development of a specialised Australian Defence Force space workforce and career progression model. Key priority mission sets, including satellite communications, space domain awareness and missile warning. Balancing sovereign capability with allied, partner and commercial integration. The role of space in enabling joint force operations and national resilience. Growth of Australia's domestic space industry and opportunities in launch capability. Challenges of operating in a contested and congested space environment. The importance of public awareness and understanding of space's role in everyday life. Finally, the discussion reflects on the future of the space domain, the need for speed in capability development, and the importance of nurturing the next generation of space professionals. Enjoy the podcast, The Space Connect team

July 23, 202542 min

Launching Hstar rockets from Space Centre Australia

Franco-American space transportation company Hstar Space is building a heavy-class rocket to blast off global infrastructure into orbit. Its upcoming launch vehicle is designed to carry up to 60 tonnes of payload. Once complete, they hope to blast it off from spaceports around the world, including locally at the upcoming Space Centre Australia in far north Queensland. In this special episode, the CEO of Hstar, Nick Orenstein, and the founder of Space Centre Australia, James Palmer, discuss their upcoming plans.

July 4, 202539 min

Learnings from space for the workplace, with NASA 4-D

This week, the Space Connect Podcast features a returning guest: Paul Hawkins, the founder of Crazy Might Work. His company is a leadership and innovation academy that brings lessons from frontiers like space to the workplace. More simply put, Hawkins and his team work with leaders and their teams to create and mobilise high-performing teams. Their re-imagination of NASA's successful 4-D program won the Australian Space Awards 2025 for Workplace Initiative of the Year. Host Adam Thorn and Hawkins discuss this and what exactly makes great leadership and high-performing teams.

June 20, 202547 min

Australian astronauts answer questions from schoolkids

Last month, Space Connect held its Australian Space Summit and Exhibition, or AusSpace, in Sydney. The highlight of the event though was a panel where schoolchildren were given the chance to interview three astronauts. We've got the audio so you can listen in. The panel included Paul Scully-Power, Australia's first-ever astronaut, who went to space in 1984; Eric Philips, who only blasted off to space on a private SpaceX mission in April; and Katherine Bennell-Pegg, the first astronaut to formally qualify under the Australian flag.

June 12, 202523 min

Behind the scenes at the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition

The Australian Space Summit & Exhibition was the biggest event of the year for our local industry. In this special episode recorded at the event, Space Connect editor Adam Thorn and Defence Connect analyst Steve Kuper discuss the main takeaways. The pair discuss the importance of AUKUS to space, the impact of government cuts to the industry and why the sector is so integral to our national defence.

April 14, 202520 min

Can SCA make aircraft satellite launches work?

Last week, Space Centre Australia revealed it was set to work with NASA on an audacious proposal to launch satellites via military aircraft. The plan – similar to that pioneered by Virgin Orbit – has already begun testing at the US space agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia using a modified C-130J Super Hercules. In this episode of the Space Connect podcast, SCA's chief executive, James Palmer, discusses how his team plans to do it and if it could lead to a closer collaboration with the US space agency.

February 28, 202531 min

How asteroid trackers are averting Armageddon

If you have been paying attention to the news for the past few weeks, you might have heard about a "city-destroying" asteroid – 2024 YR4 – spotted late last year that had the potential to impact Earth in 2032. While the chances of 2024 YR4 hitting us were once thought to be as high as 3 per cent, they have, fortunately, since been revised down to near zero – but with new asteroids and other objects being spotted all the time, our luck at avoiding the big ones may not hold forever. Fortunately, the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), comprising astronomers and organisations around the world, is on the case, cataloguing and tracking potentially hazardous asteroids and near-Earth objects to keep the risk of being caught by surprise to a minimum. Professor Ed Kruzins of UNSW Canberra is one member of the IAWN and he joins the Space Connect Podcast to discuss how asteroids are tracked, what might happen on an impact – and what we could do to prevent one.

December 23, 202419 min

Behind Australia's first lunar rover

This week, ELO2 Consortium beat out rival AROSE to win the right to create Australia's upcoming lunar rover. The rover is designed to collect regolith, or moon soil, that will eventually be turned into oxygen to support a permanent NASA base. It's arguably the biggest and most exciting project Australia's space sector has ever been involved with, and will work in tandem with NASA's Artemis mission to return humans to the lunar surface. Here, host Adam Thorn interviews two of the key figures at ELO2 overseeing the project: Lunar Outpost's Joseph Kenrick and EPE Oceania's Ben Sorensen.

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