Episodes
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In this episode, Sven and Daniel interview Aakash from Pixxel, a company that is launching a constellation of the world’s highest resolution hyperspectral satellites. Aakash shares his journey into the space industry and explains the importance of hyperspectral data in monitoring and analyzing various vital indicators on Earth. He discusses the challenges of selling a product that is still in development and the need for customer education. Aakash also highlights the unique culture and collaborative nature of the space industry. The conversation covers topics such as the differentiation of hyperspectral data from multispectral data and the future impact of hyperspectral data on Earth.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast
05:34 Selling a Product in the Space Industry
10:01 The Culture and Collaboration in the Space Industry
16:05 Advancements in Hyperspectral Technology
24:43 Specialization and Differentiation in the Earth Observation Industry
32:23 Market Development in India
36:20 Data Downlink and Distribution Challenges
39:47 The Future Impact of Hyperspectral Data on Earth
Aakash is the Chief Commercial Officer at Pixxel, a space data company building the world's first and highest resolution commercial hyperspectral constellation. He heads the growth and revenue functions, including global sales, marketing and customer success. Aakash has set up programs to provide government and commercial customers with access to Pixxel’s hyperspectral datasets as well as Aurora - Pixxel's Earth observation studio.
Aakash has spent the past decade in frontier technology sales and is passionate about bringing breakthrough innovations to new markets. Before joining Pixxel, Aakash led business development in international markets for various startups in the AgTech and PropTech domains. Aakash has completed several courses in data science and remote sensing to supplement his business background.
Follow Aakash and Pixxel:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aakashparekh
https://www.pixxel.space/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pixxelspace/
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast is sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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Bulent Altan, founder of Alpine Space Ventures and former VP at SpaceX, shares his journey in the space industry and provides insights into the evolving space ecosystem. He emphasizes the importance of quick decision-making and the need for companies to focus on commercialization of services and products. Altan discusses the growth of the European VC market in space and highlights the potential for European companies to become global leaders. He also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the Earth observation industry, including cost reduction and the role of large satellites. Altan shares his contrarian view on the space industry, advocating for investment in satellite and component builders. In this conversation, Bülent Altan discusses the use of carbon composite materials in various industries, including aerospace and automotive. He explains the advantages and challenges of manufacturing carbon composites and highlights their applications in lightweight and high-performance structures. Altan also shares his insights on the future of carbon composite technology and suggests a future guest for the podcast.
Takeaways:
- Quick decision-making is crucial in the space industry, where complete information is often unavailable.
- The European VC market in space has grown significantly, with more investors recognizing the potential of the industry.
- The commercialization of services and products, particularly in connectivity and data, is a key focus for short-term and medium-term success in the space ecosystem.
- The Earth observation industry faces challenges in capturing various customer segments and reducing the cost of data.
- Europe has the potential to become a global leader in the space industry, leveraging its talent, universities, and industries.
- Investment in satellite and component builders is an overlooked area with significant potential for growth and success.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:39 Early Days and Entry into SpaceX
08:57 Lessons from SpaceX and Quick Decision-Making
11:50 Motivation and Excitement for Space
24:24 Evolution of the VC Landscape in Europe
29:34 Investment Thesis and Focus on Connectivity and Data
35:46 Cost Reduction and Price Reduction in Earth Observation Data
39:20 European Role in the New Space Ecosystem
41:09 Contrarian View: Focus on Satellite and Component Builders
45:58 Future of Space Exploration in 100 Years
10:00 The Importance of Carbon Composite Materials
20:00 Challenges in Carbon Composite Manufacturing
30:00 Applications of Carbon Composite Materials
40:00 The Future of Carbon Composite Technology
48:00 Conclusion and Future Guests
Follow Bulent and Alpine Space:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bulentaltan
https://www.instagram.com/bulentaltan
https://alpinespace.vc/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/alpine-space-ventures
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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Episodes manquant?
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This week, we’re proud to feature a unique story. Our guest interned at both Blue Origin and SpaceX in the early 2000s, later becoming Skybox’s (now Planet Labs' Terra Bella) 3rd employee, after his professor encouraged the would-be founders to start the company following a university competition.
It’s not surprising he’s been at the forefront of space innovation, considering he's been passionate about space since the age of six, citing an obsession with rockets. “I probably scared my mom to death many times, blowing stuff up in the garage, trying to mix rocket fuels and launch things.”
If you guessed Jonny Dyer, you were right. Consistently at the forefront of space innovation, Jonny is now the CEO of Muon Space, which is building satellites tailored for monitoring the climate on Earth. With their first launch in 2023 on SpaceX’s Transporter-8, and two more scheduled this year, Muon is poised to break barriers in satellite imaging as a whole.
Our conversation spanned the length of Jonny’s career but focused on Muon Space’s strategy and value proposition, and Jonny’s pragmatic and profound reflections on the Earth observation ecosystem. Don’t miss it!
Jonny:
https://twitter.com/jonnydyer?lang=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonny-dyer-1870085/
Muon:
https://www.muonspace.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/muon-space/
https://twitter.com/MuonSpace
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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You don't really have to know Walter to pick up on the fact that he's a leader. When he arrived at our office for this episode, we hadn't given him the floor number. So, before our producer had time to offer him a welcome downstairs, Walter had already taken the elevator to the top and was methodically eliminating options as he descended.
"I figured I'd eventually find the the right one this way."
This decision-maker mindset was more than evident throughout our conversation with him - one of the most engaging we've had in a while.
In a generous show of authenticity, Walter opened up about his life: the makings of his present self and the decisions that guided him, the genesis of his current company and its clichéd yet entirely reasonable inspiration, and his personal greivances with the disingenuous politics of the space sector.
In this memorable episode, you'll learn about what it takes to run a space company, and what it feels like to "outstretch" one - and everything in between.
Follow Walter:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/walterballheimer
Follow Reflex:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/reflex-aerospace/
https://www.instagram.com/reflexaerospace/
https://twitter.com/reflexaerospace
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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An investor's guide to earth observation:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daniel-seidel-979524137_i-wrote-an-investors-guide-to-earth-observation-activity-7117028884901949441-Wo61?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Yuk’s succes was not simple - not unlike his journey. Yuk used to be an officer in the Singapore army, as the head of maintenence and recovery operations of its armored and track vehicles.
“… It was a great honor and privilege… where else on Earth are you going to find a 21 year old reponsible for a 100 million dollar technology portfolio?”
He then went on to go to law school & specialized in space, later joining a company that would use an electrodyanmic tether as a propulsion unit to station-keep in low earth orbit. But when that company went under, he used the reason for its failure to inspire a new venture: Charter.
Charter is building Ubiks, a logisitics platform tailored to the process of building space systems.
“It takes over the moment you’ve arrived at your initial stable design, and now you need to put the meat to the metal and actually build the thing.”
Discover how Yuk got into space law following his position in the army, the challenges he faced in his first company, and how that led him to secure Techstars funding for Charter with its co-founder.
Follow Yuk:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanyukchi/?originalSubdomain=uk
https://www.chanyukchi.space/
Charter:
https://www.charter.space/
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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Vice President of Engineering at Planet Labs, Kiruthika shares her transition from the precision-intensive environment of a radio astronomer to the dynamic realm of a startup, where she leads teams through the design of satellites' power, avionics, and communications sytems. She gives us a look into the unique world of satellite constellation management, and the Planet value of performance over density, as Planet CEO Will Marshall says.
What makes Planet Labs stand out in the space industry? The answer lies in the company's "agile aerospace" philosophy and their strategic projects. Discover how Kiruthika and her team navigate the complexities of satellite systems, the impact of Planet's acquisitions, and the development of their constellations. We also explore current and future trends that are poised to redefine the satellite industry.
Follow Kiruthika & Planet:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiruthikadevaraj/
https://www.planet.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/planet-labs/
https://twitter.com/planet
https://www.instagram.com/planetlabs/
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
https://www.live-eo.com/
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In this episode, we sat down with Philippe Raisin, co-founder and CTO of VIDA, which is changing the renewable energy sector with earth observation. Philippe shared his unique journey from a personal interest in renewable energy to the inception of VIDA, which was born out of a non-traditional background in EO. He gave an inside look into how VIDA is leveraging geospatial data to address global energy challenges, and the transformative role the technology plays in their mission.
We delve into the intricacies of VIDA's work, discussing everything from the adoption and validation of satellite imagery to the hurdles of licensing, as well as the type of projects VIDA works on. Philippe offered valuable insights into the intersection of technology, renewable energy, and sustainable investment.
Follow Philippe & VIDA:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/praisin/
https://twitter.com/prraisin
https://www.linkedin.com/company/vida-place/
https://www.vida.place/
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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In this episode, our hosts sit down with a pioneering figure in the space legal sector who transitioned from telecom law to finding his place among the stars. Discover how a canceled internship and a rapid pivot led Dr. Baumann to Eutelsat, one of the leading players in satellite broadcasting, before journeying into the heart of the Cologne Institute of Air and Space Law.
Following his academic foray, our Dr. Baumann found himself serving as a crucial part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), first as an internal lawyer managing small projects before transitioning to the big leagues - working on major endeavors like Galileo and Copernicus. Listen as he recounts his decision to strike out on his own, developing a law firm with an out-of-this-world business plan that garnered an award and sprouted from the roots of his work at the DLR.
Dr. Baumann delves into the intricacies of space law, dissecting the core treaties, national laws, and evolving technologies that present new legal challenges. He touches on historical moments that influenced space law, such as the Sputnik launch and the space race, while dissecting major treaties that have set the stage for current day regulations. Finally, we discuss the surprising and not-so-surprising developments in the NewSpace ecosystem, from the rise of SpaceX to the ease of startup funding, and reflect on the immense progress and potential the future holds for the commercial space industry.
Follow Dr. Baumann & BHO Legal:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingo-baumann-7a8183/
https://house-of-space.com/
https://www.bho-legal.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bho-legal/
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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The sheer amount of data available from satellites enables us to solve some of the world’s most complex problems.
Renaud Allioux was inspired by Planet to do just that when he left Airbus to co-found Preligens, an AI and intelligence company in the earth observation space, which he is now Chief Innovation Officer of.
We spoke about Renaud’s journey, from working on exciting missions in physics and engineering at Airbus, to solving crucial problems in the defense industry.
He also explained how the intelligence sector and its troves of data make it hard to keep up, and why building software can be more challenging than building a spaceship due to requiring a different mindset and business plan.
Renaud gave us deep insights into what Preligens is doing, shared incredible stories from his career so far, and talked about the macro and micro perspective on EO. He shed light on why it’s so hard to break into the industry, the future of AI versus human analysis in defence, and how the private sector, contrary to popular belief, can be more advanced than government institutions.
Follow Renaud & Preligens:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaud-allioux-2101704a/?originalSubdomain=fr
https://www.linkedin.com/company/preligens/
https://twitter.com/preligens?lang=en
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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Our guest for this episode is LiveEO’s Michael Cruickshank, a former conflict journalist, who takes us on a journey through the world of open source intelligence (OSINT). From developing ship tracking software using satellite data to using algorithms for automated detection of burnt villages, he reveals how OSINT empowers truth-seekers in a conflict-ridden world. We delve into the origins of OSINT, its role in geospatial analysis (and vice versa), the risks faced by those in the field, and the potential impact of AI.
Follow Michael:
https://twitter.com/mj_cruickshank
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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In this episode, acclaimed filmmaker & entrepreneur Torsten Hoffman shares insights from his experience making documentaries about cryptocurrency - but most importantly his latest project "Fortitude" which explores the burgeoning newspace industry. He highlights the stark differences between the two communities and the surprising quality of people he met in the newspace industry. With interviews featuring top companies, astronauts, and thought leaders in the space industry, the documentary covers everything from the space economy to asteroid mining. Torsten also discusses the importance of space exploration for humanity and the incredible potential of the industry in terms of data and innovation.
Here's the podcast episode that was discussed:
https://bit.ly/422FphY
Support FORTITUDE:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitcointheendofmoney/fortitude-forging-the-trillion-dollar-space-economy
https://www.fortitudemovie.com/
Follow Torsten:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/torstenhq/?trk=public_profile_project_contributor-image&originalSubdomain=uk
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmjjKmkAD2gl1dYGqSl6MHA
https://twitter.com/TorstenHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
https://www.instagram.com/torstenhq/
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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John recieved a call from a former coworker who knew his strengths would break molds at a new position for Planet Labs. Now at LiveEO, John applies his expertise as its Chief Product Officer.
This episode showcases John’s accumulation of knowledge since before his career, having grown up “in an environment surrounded by tech.” He continued to drive innovation everywhere he went, from spearheading email efforts in the US house of representatives at the start of his career, to running the global partner ecosystem at Planet before joining LiveEO.
He adresses the myriad use cases for satellite data & how he came to learn of them, sheds light on what LiveEO is doing & how it’s changing the game, and explains that no one has to be an expert in space to harness the value of satellites.
Follow John:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jatkinson/
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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If you listened to episode #23, you’ll recall Hélène Huby, CEO of The Exploration Company, said Geraldine Naja is “at the core of the transformation” of the European Space Agency. From our conversation with her, you’ll find out she’s exactly that - and more.
Geraldine’s unparalleled knowledge is a result of over 30 years of industry experience at ESA. We spoke with her about the usual: the future of space, promising potential use cases, fostering a healthy ecosystem. But Geraldine always delivered engaging answers - developing our questions - and raising important ones herself.
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Although he did not begin his career in the geospatial industry, Sean is now CEO of satellite imaging marketplace UP42.
Our conversation with him spanned several subjects, like: partnering with google, what it’s like to work with multiple companies to consolidate tasking into their platform, and how satellite imaging finding growth the way GPS did is a realistic possibility in the future of earth observation.
Follow Sean & UP42:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanwiid
https://www.linkedin.com/company/up42
https://twitter.com/UP42_?s=20
Follow this episode's featured startup Sat.io:
https://satio.space
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sat-io
https://twitter.com/sat_io_?lang=en
Follow NSV:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
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The satellite and earth observation industry can often be frustrating, and Joe Morrison is vocal about what needs to be addressed to maximize its potential. In fact, it was his honesty that landed him at Umbra as Vice President of Customer Experience; his now popular blog on the satellite industry was read by Umbra’s co-founder, who later reached out to him.
With his light-hearted demeanour, Joe tackles intricate subjects in a way digestable for all. In this episode we spoke with him about the myriad applications of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data and Umbra’s edge as a manufacturer.
Follow Joe:
https://joemorrison.substack.com/
https://joemorrison.medium.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-morrison/
https://twitter.com/mouthofmorrison?s=20&t=Vz_4TWS3FeAaGh_ChVUGSg
Follow NSV:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
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As soon as Helen answered our first question - what she thinks the future of space will look like - we knew we’d be in for a treat. Despite being asked that question too many times to count, The Exploration Company's CEO delivered an answer that, like her professional journey, captivated us throughout.
Helene’s remarkable story is one filled with ambition, determination, gut and, as she admits, some luck. Now, her company wants to design a capsule that will eventually carry humans, directly challenging world superpowers and paving the way for EU NewSpace.
Follow Helene and The Exploration Company:
https://www.exploration.space/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/exploration-company/?originalSubdomain=de
https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenehuby/
Follow NewSpaceVision:
https://de.linkedin.com/company/newspacevision
https://twitter.com/newspacevision
https://www.instagram.com/newspacevision/
https://www.facebook.com/newspacevision/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/newspace/
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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Aravind Ravichandran is one of earth observation’s leading voices. Having founded Terrawatch Space and driven its renowned podcast and newsletter, Aravind’s work sits at the forefront of the remote sensing industry – helping to demystify and push the boundaries of earth observation, satellite data and applications. In this episode, find out how he entered the field thanks to a chance encounter, pursued his newfound passion at the International Space University and how he views the growth of newspace – sharing exclusive industry insights on topics like climate, insurance and his predictions for the space sector going forward.
Check out Aravind's podcast: podcast.terrawatchspace.com
Subscribe to his newsletter: newsletter.terrawatchspace.com
This podcast was sponsored by LiveEO. For more information on how Earth observation can help your company, contact:
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“I promised you, Sven,” said our co-host Daniel, after Sven pointed out how much he enjoyed James' ideas. “…I could talk to James for hours.”
James' unwavering passion for satellite imaging, and his company Skywatch, is almost tangible. Originally a side project allowing astrophysicists to access data from NASA observatories in near real-time, Skywatch catapulted James into the industry after garnering investor and media interest in 2014. Now a business with over 800 customers globally, Skywatch, through James' leadership, is a company worth admiring in the new space sector.
View the slide James references here: ibb.co/hcgwzm6
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Our hosts Daniel and Sven, co-founders and CEOs of LiveEO, host a live NewSpaceVision special from our October 2022 meetup, recorded at LiveEO’s brand new office.
How do investors think - what do they look for when funding a company? Should one even seek investment or is it actually better to bootstrap a business? We deep dive into these questions with newspace veteran Tom Segert, founder and CEO of Berlin Space Technologies; Andreas Kupke, tech entrepreneur & investor; and Lukas Leitner, analyst and venture capitalist at Lakestar.
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Our founders Daniel Seidel and Sven Przywarra discuss AWS Aerospace with its EMEA department head, Guido Baraglia.
Three years ago, Amazon Web Services launched their space and satellite business unit. With his extensive record in the aerospace industry, it’s no surprise that Guido became department head in early 2022. “It is a matter of not letting the train go by without jumping on board,” he says, in regards to his new position.
The enthusiasm Guido brings to his work at AWS is the same energy he brings to NewSpace. In this conversation, Guido provides a glimpse into the source of his motivation and offers exclusive insights into our increasingly NewSpace dependent world.
Listen to this episode to discover how AWS is making history by leading innovation – with its customer-centric approach to cloud operations, its hyper data-driven mindset and its ambitious vision for the future.
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