In this New Member Spotlight episode of The SSPI Podcast, we welcome GOMspace to the SSPI community and get to know the company behind the name.

Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with Slava Frayter, CEO of GOMspace North America, about how GOMspace is helping North American customers turn satellites into mission capability. The conversation explores the company's approach to bespoke small satellite solutions, including integrated mission design, subsystem reliability, operational support, and long-term sustainability.

Frayter also shares why North America is a priority market for GOMspace, how customer needs are evolving beyond hardware and software, and what motivated the company to join SSPI as a corporate member.

This episode is part of SSPI's Space and Satellite Futures track, highlighting the people and organizations shaping the future of the space and satellite industry.

Five years ago, in the throes of the global pandemic, a ray of hope was born of the unique vision of then SSPI President Nicole Robinson – that SSPI should have a gathering for the women of the industry. That gathering took place on the evening of December 16th, 2020, while Nicole was President of SSPI.

Five years! SSPI-WISE has accomplished so much since then and is looking forward to reaching even higher heights, but it all started with that initial vision.

In this SSPI-WISE Presents podcast, based on the panel conducted at the December 16 WISE anniversary meeting, Nicole Robinson, President, Gilat Datapath, Tina Ghataore, CEO, Aerospacelab North America, and Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems at Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. and past Chair of SSPI-WISE, join us for SSPI-WISE's anniversary celebration and share their thoughts.

In this episode, Tamara Bond-Williams, Executive Director of Space and Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), speaks with Josef Nemec, Technical Director of GovSat, to discuss the importance of secure satellite communications for governmental and institutional users. GovSat, a public-private partnership between the Luxembourg government and SES, operates the GovSat-1 satellite, which provides secure, non-preemptible, and assured communications with features like X-band and military Ka-band capacity and anti-jamming technology. The conversation highlights how GovSat supports national security, operational assurance, and trusted connectivity across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The episode also explores the strategic role of Luxembourg as a secure satellite hub for Europe and NATO allies, the influence of interoperability and coalition operations on GovSat's service design, and the challenges of maritime law and international coordination in satellite communications. Josef shares insights on the evolving European defense communications ecosystem, opportunities for joint procurement and shared infrastructure, and GovSat's participation in shaping the future of allied secure connectivity.

In this episode, Tamara Bond-Williams, Executive Director of Space and Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), speaks with Andreas Nil, Co-Founder and Managing Director of MediaMobil, about how satellite communications at sea have evolved from kilobits to multi-orbit, multi-network systems.

The conversation explores how maritime operators use VSAT, GEO, and LEO satellites, global teleport networks, and adaptive gateways to keep ships connected across oceans, ports, and national jurisdictions. Andreas explains how MediaMobil's Multilink Gateway dynamically switches between satellite systems based on cost, performance, regulation, and availability—ensuring reliable connectivity even where LEO coverage is restricted.

The episode also examines how satellite connectivity supports mobility, sustainability, and critical operations, from route optimization and emissions monitoring to offshore launch platforms and future 5G and 6G non-terrestrial networks. Throughout, Europe emerges as a laboratory for collaboration, regulation, and trust in satellite systems.

In this episode, Tamara Bond-Williams, Executive Director of Space and Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), is joined by Craig Bowley, Regional Vice President of Sales for Europe at ST Engineering iDirect, to launch a new European series focused on the vertical markets shaping connectivity across the region.

The conversation explores the macro trends redefining Europe's satellite landscape, from EU programs like IRIS² and GovSatCom, to the growing importance of secure, interoperable communications for governments, including their defense capabilities, and essential public systems. Bowley explains how multi-orbit systems, software-defined terminals, and new ground architectures are enabling resilience across land, sea, air, and space.

This episode also examines emerging applications such as connected trains, mobility, IoT, and the convergence of satellite and 5G networks, revealing how satellite systems quietly underpin everyday life and strategic operations alike.

How does a region become a launchpad for the next space economy? In this episode of The SSPI Podcast, Executive Director Tamara Bond-Williams sits down with Victor Hoskins, President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), one of SSPI's newest corporate members. Together they explore how Fairfax County's powerful technology base, world-class universities, and proximity to the U.S. federal government are fueling investment in satellite, aerospace, and quantum innovation. Hoskins shares how FCEDA is building a complete ecosystem—from K-12 STEM outreach to AI-driven workforce pipelines—and why the region's 150 space companies are positioning Northern Virginia as a global hub for the $1.8 trillion space industry of the future.

About our Guest:

Victor Hoskins is President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), where he leads strategy for one of the nation's strongest innovation economies and the largest economy in Virginia. Under his leadership, FCEDA has secured more than $3 billion in new investment, supported the creation of 54,000 high-tech jobs, and helped grow a cluster of more than 150 space and aerospace companies in Fairfax County. An MIT-trained urban planner with decades of experience in economic strategy and innovation ecosystems, Hoskins serves on multiple regional economic and business boards and has been recognized with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to economic development.

In this episode of She Reaches, host Tanveer Pujara speaks with Lee Steinke, Chief Operating Officer at CisLunar Industries, Partner at Elara Nova Space Consultancy, and former Interim COO at Orbit Fab.

With experience spanning NASA, DARPA, Space Force, and the U.S. Department of Defense, Lee brings a unique perspective on how government, industry, and innovation intersect to define the next era of space operations. She led the Space Futures Workshop to explore the commercial implications of space for U.S. national security and continues to influence policy and strategy through her work with Space Force and NewSpace Nexus.

Before entering the aerospace sector, Lee built her career in the energy industry as an executive and licensed professional scientist — and today she is a published author, TEDx speaker, and advocate for advancing U.S. leadership in space.

Tune in to hear how Lee's journey from energy to aerospace reflects the power of curiosity, courage, and strategic leadership in shaping humanity's future beyond Earth.

In the third and final episode of this mini-series, we hear from Nobu Okada, Founder & CEO of Astroscale.

Since establishing Astroscale in 2013, Nobu has grown the company from a one-person venture into a global organization with offices in five countries, raised over $383 million in funding, and led the company to a successful IPO.

A highly respected figure in the space industry, Nobu is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, an advisory board member of the Space Generation Advisory Council, and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He previously served as Vice President for Space Economy and Sponsorship at the International Astronautical Federation until 2023 and co-chaired the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Space Technologies until 2021. During his tenure, he played a key role in developing the Space Sustainability Rating, a system designed to promote responsible space operations.

Under Nobu's leadership, Astroscale has received numerous accolades, including the IAF Excellence in Industry (SME) in 2023, the Japanese Prime Minister's Award in 2022, and recognition as one of TIME100's Most Influential Companies in 2022. Nobu has also received individual recognition, including the 2020 SpaceNews Company Leader of the Year and the 2019 Forbes JAPAN Start-up of The Year.

Before founding Astroscale, Nobu was an IT entrepreneur and strategy consultant, managing IT companies across Japan, China, India and Singapore. He successfully led one company to an IPO. Earlier in his career, he worked at McKinsey & Company and served in the Japanese Ministry of Finance.

Nobu holds a bachelor's degree in Agriculture from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from the Krannert School of Business, Purdue University.