Are you interested in rockets and satellites but don’t know where to get an understanding of related developments? Are you looking for a great primer on the subject? Well, you found it. This fascinating podcast with Elon Musk’s biographer addresses questions and topics such as:

• What caused NASA to completely loose its rocket launching mojo? What is the argument for completely defunding NASA?
• What factors enabled start-up rocket companies to produce rockets so inexpensively? What percent, on average, of a rocket’s weight is related to its cargo?
• Why is it almost certain that the moon will be colonized before Mars? Which countries might compete with the United States in doing so? Is the International Space Station obsolete? Are new companies threatening to displace it?
• How likely is it that sun-powered data centers will exist in orbit?
• What kinds of regulations apply to rocket launching companies? Which countries regulate in-orbit satellites?
• What is the potential for rocket companies to facilitate manufacturing pharmaceuticals in space? To harvest promising minerals and metals from asteroids?
• What is being done to clean up spent satellites and other debris in space?
• What is the appetite of the venture capital community to fund rocket companies?

Guest Speaker:  Ashlee Vance, Elon Musk’s Biographer

Ashlee Vance’s biography on Elon Musk, entitled Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, was released in May of 2015. His most recent book is entitled When the Heavens Went On Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space within Reach. His writing often also appears in such publications as The Economist, Chicago Tribune, ⁠CNN.com⁠, the Globe and Mail, the International Herald Tribune, and CNET. Mr. Vance writes and hosts the “Hello World” video series for Bloomberg, focusing on the tech scene in various countries.