Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesSciences

This Season’s Mission Will Be Making Space Relatable

Space to Grow is back for a second season with hosts Chris Blackerby and Charity Weeden from Astroscale. It’s where economics, technology and sustainability in space intersect. In the opening episode, Blackerby and Weeden take a look back and forward regarding the space economy. “We’re going to focus a lot on partnerships as a dedicated…

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Sciences teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

By Chris Blackerby · AstroscaleJames Webb Space TelescopePartnershipsPolicy
Share

Key takeaways

01

Space to Grow is back for a second season with hosts Chris Blackerby and Charity Weeden from Astroscale.

02

It’s where economics, technology and sustainability in space intersect.

03

In the opening episode, Blackerby and Weeden take a look back and forward regarding the space economy.

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Sciences?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Sciences coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Request an invite

Space to Grow is back for a second season with hosts Chris Blackerby and Charity Weeden from Astroscale. It’s where economics, technology and sustainability in space intersect. In the opening episode, Blackerby and Weeden take a look back and forward regarding the space economy.

“We’re going to focus a lot on partnerships as a dedicated theme of conversations, as they are driving the space economy,” Blackerby said.

Since space exploration and sustainability are such complex initiatives, partnerships are critical.

Blackerby and Weeden shared some big moments in space from the last year. “Even with COVID, it was an incredible year for space,” Blackerby noted.

Weeden’s top moment was humanity in space. “Private citizens went into space. That’s a first, and everyone can relate to that.”

While that was a pivotal moment, others demonstrated risks and challenges, spawning from geopolitical impacts on Earth. One of those is the Russian ASAT (anti-satellite weapon) tests.

Turning back to good news that demonstrates cooperation and collaboration, the James Webb Space Telescope launched through a partnership between the U.S. and Europe. Weeden relayed that the investment in the space economy isn’t slowing in other good news. It’s actually growing.

The hosts then provided a preview of what’s to come this season. They’ll welcome a diverse group of guests from around the world. Topics will range from business to policy to technology.

Weeden also announced a new segment Space to Grow After Hours. “We’ll be debating topics with the pros and cons in this extra content,” she described.

More in This Series

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Sciences starts with a company putting its lab directors, applications scientists, and field specialists on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Lab and research buyers verify before they trial, and your scientists give them something credible to verify against.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

CB
Chris Blackerby

Follow Sciences Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Sciences: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Sciences buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. See how AI describes your company today, and where competitors show up instead.

Free workspace

You just read one Sciences expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your lab directors, applications scientists, and field specialists into the articles, video, and social content Sciences buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale Studio workspace
One video edit a month, on us
AI writing, editing, and publishing tools
In-platform coaching to learn the system

More Sciences Insights

Robotic Systems Emerge for Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing

Robotic Systems Emerge for Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing

A September 2024 Cytotherapy paper describes a robotic cluster designed to automate manual steps in cell therapy manufacturing. Additional reviews published in 2019 and 2026, along with commentary from Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, discuss automation and AI as tools being explored for the cell and gene therapy manufacturing sector.

  • 01A robotic cluster combining a robotic arm with customized modules can handle standard cell therapy equipment (incubators, bioreactors, reagent bags) without requiring entirely new manufacturing platforms.
  • 02The system produced human CD8+ T cells with cell yields, viability and identity comparable to manual cultures while maintaining sterility, according to the Cytotherapy paper.
  • 03Manufacturing automation and AI are cited in industry analysis as potential solutions to skilled labor shortages and production scaling challenges, particularly for allogeneic therapies manufactured at larger scale.

Sep 13, 2026

Deloitte's Biopharma AI Value Estimates Come With a Timing Catch

Deloitte's Biopharma AI Value Estimates Come With a Timing Catch

Deloitte's 2024 report, covered by TechTarget in April 2024, estimated that a top-10 biopharma company could capture $5-7 billion in peak AI value over five years, with about 90% concentrated in R&D, manufacturing/supply chain, and commercial functions. McKinsey reported in November 2025 that despite rising AI investment, pharma companies have not yet seen shorter development timelines or better clinical success rates.

  • 01Deloitte estimates $5–7B peak AI value for top-10 biopharma firms over five years, with cost reductions appearing in 1–2 quarters and revenue gains taking 3–4 quarters.
  • 02McKinsey found pharma companies have not yet achieved shorter drug development timelines or improved preclinical and clinical success rates despite increased AI spending.
  • 03AI systems used in manufacturing, supply chain, and R&D functions may require validation under existing regulated systems frameworks like GAMP.

Sep 13, 2026

CPC Biotech, Multiply Labs Develop Robot-Ready Cell Therapy Connector

CPC Biotech, Multiply Labs Develop Robot-Ready Cell Therapy Connector

CPC Biotech, part of PSG and Dover, announced on May 27, 2026 that it is collaborating with Multiply Labs to develop an aseptic connector designed for robotic operation. The companies said the connector combines CPC's MicroCNX Nano Series with a proprietary interface engineered for robotic grippers, giving robots a consistent contact point during aseptic fluid transfers in Multiply Labs' closed cell and gene therapy processing systems.

  • 01Robotic grippers can reliably handle rigid parts but struggle with soft materials like bags and tubing, driving demand for robot-compatible connectors in sterile processing.
  • 02Commercial cell therapy production was under 5,000 doses per year in 2023 while global demand was estimated in the millions, creating manufacturing constraints.
  • 03Cell therapy manufacturing may involve upwards of 40 process steps, and optimal workflows remain under development without industrywide standardization.

Sep 10, 2026

Explore More Sciences Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Sciences.

Browse Sciences Hub

About the Expert

CB
Chris Blackerby

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Sciences and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512